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Press Release: Kander Sits in on Storytime, Promotes New Early Childhood Literacy Initiative

 

For immediate release:         July 10, 2014

Contact:                                           Laura Swinford; (573) 522-2592, laura.swinford@sos.mo.gov

 

 

Kander Sits in on Storytime, Promotes New Early Childhood Literacy Initiative

 

Jefferson City, Mo. — Secretary of State Jason Kander this week visited libraries across the state as a guest storytime reader to promote his office’s new early childhood literacy initiative—Racing to Read. Kander established the statewide program this year to help strengthen and expand both the quality and availability of library services to address early literacy needs for Missouri’s children.

 

“Libraries throughout our state are key to making sure Missouri’s kids have the opportunity to maintain and even strengthen their reading skills over the summer,” Kander said. “I am proud my office was able to award grants to 29 library districts this year, and we look forward to expanding the program in the future.”

 

Secretary Kander visited Bingham Elementary School in Springfield, Rolla Public Library and Kirkwood Public Library in St. Louis, sitting in as a special guest reader for each institution’s storytime. Storytime relies on two of the five building blocks of Racing to Read—“Talk and Read” and “Love Books”—to help children develop literacy skills. The initiative’s other building blocks are “Sing and Rhyme,” “Play with Letters” and “Tell Stories.”

 

Twenty-nine public library districts throughout Missouri are now able to start or bolster early childhood literacy programming this summer because of $300,000 in Racing to Read grants from the Missouri State Library, a division of Kander’s office.

 

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Visit www.sos.mo.gov to learn more about the Office of the Missouri Secretary of State.