HAMMOND | Hammond Education Foundation has received a $15,000 grant from the Legacy Foundation to fund a new child literacy program triggered by parental engagement.
The program, titled “Come and Read with Me,” expands on an initiative successfully introduced at Hammond’s Kenwood Elementary School during the 2011-12 school year. That program was funded by a Seedling Grant provided by the Hammond Education Foundation.
The “Come and Read with Me” program is being implemented at Edison, Franklin, Harding, Hess, Jefferson, Kenwood and Morton elementary schools. It will consist of a teacher training session and three workshops on reading strategies for parents of kindergarten and first-grade students.
While parents attend those workshops, their son/daughter will listen to a storyteller or guest reader, or participate in other literacy activities. The students then will reunite with their parent to choose a book to take home and read together.
“When children are learning how to read, many parents do not know how to help their children,” Hammond Education Foundation Executive Director Gail Rodovich said. “What’s more, many homes do not have age-appropriate books for young students to read. Parents who are able to help their children early in their school years go a long way in advancing student success.”
The Legacy grant will be used to cover all program expenses, including materials, facilitators, books and refreshments. All workshops will be completed by March.
The Hammond Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization of business, civic and educational leaders that has been in existence since 1983 and is committed to its mission of "Supporting Extraordinary Learning Experiences to Help Students Succeed." HEF has distributed more than $1 million in classroom grants and scholarships within the School City of Hammond.
More information about the HEF may be found at www.hammondeducationfoundation.org.
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