Read Early; Read Often

Does reading to young children really make a difference?  We think it does, and we are not alone. Ask our Primary teachers and their answer will be that they can tell who has been read to and who has not before starting school. On going research supports our beliefs. For many years the benefits of...

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A Salute To Our Volunteers

016 The three 1000X5 projects have been gifted not only with an astounding number of books, but also a talented and committed cadre of volunteers.  They have no more time than anyone else, but week after week they enter the classroom where books and laughter are shared in equal measure. Why do...

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Book A Vacation

It’s not too hard to imagine this:  Two families are living in the same house.  Upstairs, a young professional couple live with their three children, two of whom are in school.  They rent their “mortgage helper” basement suite to a single mother with a young child; she is employed, but her work is...

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Lessons From A Family

Maya and her mother Kristin have a lot to teach us about sharing the gift of literacy. When Maya turned five, her mother hosted a ‘toonie’ party, where each guest brings two toonies; one for a present for the birthday child, and one to be donated to charity. Together they used the money to buy...

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“Just Right” Support

I love the image in our masthead. The baby, all of 9 months old, is in command of that book! She holds the pages while intently studying the image that has captivated the readers of Dr. Seuss for generations. And she already knows that when she is ready to move on, she has only to turn the page...

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One Thousand Books by Age Five: The Benefits

September is an exciting time for the “1000 X 5” Project leaders and volunteers!  Each fall, we resume weekly work bees in schools where we collect, screen, count, sort, label, and package gift bags of books for families with young children. We have fun while we work and leave each session knowing...

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