Story contributed by: Shelby SmithIn Spring 2014, in honor of National Read Across America Day, preschoolers from the San Diego State Children’s Center enjoyed a morning of listening to their favorite books being read by their teachers, parents, and other volunteers. The day is held annually to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss, the renowned children’s book author.
Three and four year old preschoolers walked across the SDSU campus to the lawn in front of the iconic Hepner Hall for a special reading of classics like The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and The Lorax. The goal of the event was to promote literacy and highlight the significance of reading early in children’s development.
Last spring marked the second annual event hosted by the Child and Family Development Department as part of its ongoing Children’s Library Project, and was organized by CFD seniors, Cyrene Prudente and Shelby Smith. In 2011, the CFD Department helped revitalize the children’s library at the on-campus Children’s Center, which was unorganized and rarely used by children and families. The receipt of a President’s Leadership Grant also assisted with the purchase of a computer database, furniture, and books for the revitalization project.
CFD students continue to support the library project through an ongoing action research project coordinated by faculty member Dr. Sarah Garrity. CFD graduate student, Chun-Ju Chen, is currently creating an online module linked to the Children’s Center website that will inform parents of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers of the benefits of shared book reading. The module will also provide information about high quality children’s literature and as useful instructions and strategies to help them read to their children more effectively.