Ventura Conty District Attorney Eric Nasarenko reading to Take5 and Read to Kids children.
The eighth annual Take 5 and Read to Kids! campaign will kick-off May 3rd at preschools and various locations throughout Ventura County. More than 50 local celebrity readers will be reading to young children. First 5 Ventura County hosts the free community events to help raise awareness about the importance of early childhood literacy for the more than 55,000 children in Ventura County who are age 5 years and younger. For more information, visit www.first5ventura.org/talk-read-sing/
This year’s impressive lineup of readers includes Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Assemblymembers Steve Bennett and Jacqui Irwin, Supervisors Jeff Gorell, Matt LaVere, Kelly Long, and Janice Parvin, County Executive Officer Dr. Sevet Johnson, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner, and many more.
Members of the public with children age 5 and younger are invited to attend Take 5 and Read to Kids! storytimes with a celebrity reader at select First 5 Ventura County Neighborhoods for Learning (NfL) sites as well as local libraries during their regularly scheduled storytimes:
Ventura locations:
- Sheridan Way Elementary (NfL classroom), 573 Sheridan Way, Ventura, May 3rd at 9:30 a.m.
- E.P. Foster Library on Monday, May 6th at 10:30 a.m.
- Hill Road Library on Wednesday, May 8th at 10:30 a.m.
First 5 Ventura County encourages parents, caregivers, and community members to become champions of early literacy by taking at least five minutes each day to read with a young child. “Talking throughout the day with your young child, reading together, telling stories, and singing all help develop pathways in the brain that will later be used to recognize letters, read, and think critically,” Supervisor and First 5 Commissioner Matt LaVere added.
“We know that the first five years of life lay the foundation for success in school and life. For young children, early exposure to books is beneficial for long-term academic achievements,” said Health Care Agency Director and First 5 Commission Chair Barry Zimmerman. Studies have proven that when you talk, read, and sing to children starting at birth, you promote and support early language and literacy development.
Brain research shows that the prenatal period and first five years of a child’s life are critical for developing lifelong social, emotional and learning skills. Based on this research, California voters passed Proposition 10 (a tobacco tax) in 1998 which established First 5 county commissions throughout the state to improve health and education programs for children prenatal to 5 years.
For more than 25 years, First 5 Ventura County’s investment, expertise and leadership have made a significant, positive impact on early childhood in our community. F5VC’s early education and childhood development programs – Neighborhoods for Learning and Help Me Grow – strengthen families and help ensure Ventura County’s 55,000 children age 5 and younger reach their full potential. About First 5 Ventura County, www.first5ventura.org
