Family Event Promotes Early Literacy, Celebrates Dr. Seuss

About 90% of the brain develops in the first five years of life. The job of getting children ready for school starts the day that they’re born. During these early years, one of the best ways to make sure kids have the skills they need to succeed in school is to read to them every day.

On March 18, 2014, the Verde Valley Healthy Families program and the Parents as Teachers program held a family playgroup focused on early literacy. To celebrate the birthday of well-known and loved author Dr. Seuss, the event featured activities and decorations related to Dr. Seuss’s most famous stories. Special guest Mayor Diane Joens attended to see the two programs in action.

Verde Valley Healthy Families is a free home visitation program for families with children ages five and under, and is housed in the Verde Valley Medical Center. Parents as Teachers is a free home visitation program of Arizona’s Children Association that also serves families with young children prenatally to age five. Both are funded by First Things First, the voter-created organization that works to make sure all kids in Arizona are healthy and ready for school. Through these home visitation programs, families receive visits every two weeks from a family support specialist, who partners with them to make sure their young child is healthy, growing and learning. Every month, the programs team up and organize a playgroup so their families can meet, learn and socialize.

“I like that these playgroups offer my son the chance to build his social skills,” said Nici Campbell, mother of 17-month old son, Jaxson, speaking at the Dr. Seuss event. “It’s also helpful for us parents to have the opportunity to meet and share ideas.”



Mayor Diane Joens and Susan Lacher of Verde Valley Healthy Families help

18-month old Matthew Evans “fish for a book” at the Dr. Seuss family playgroup

Erica Evans, who came to the Dr. Seuss playgroup with her 18-month old son Matthew, appreciated that the event was focused on early literacy. “I’m a fanatic reader,” said Evans. Her son, she said, is becoming one too. “We read every night together,” she said. “When he wants to read, Matthew already knows how to pull a book off the shelf and hand it to me.”

Reading aloud to children builds critical skills such as focus, vocabulary, knowledge and critical thinking. By encouraging families to read to their young children as much as possible, Verde Valley Healthy Families and Parents as Teachers are working to support healthy, growing, imaginative, and school-ready minds.

Verde Valley Healthy Families and Parents as Teachers are free programs for families with children ages five and under and are funded by First Things First. For more information about Verde Valley Healthy Families, please contact Susan Lacher at (928) 639-6566. For more information about Parents as Teachers, a program of Arizona’s Children Association, please contact Rainee Crabtree at (928) 443-1991 X 2021.