JLSN AND SPEF HOST FAMILY LITERACY NIGHT: Encouraging School Readiness and Parental Involvement in Stamford’s South End

Stamford, CT (October 21) – On Tuesday, October 25, from 6-8 PM, Springdale Elementary School teachers, kindergartners and first graders, along with their parents will gather at the Lathan Wider Community Center for Family Literacy Night.

The program is in its fourth year. It is a partnership between the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk (JLSN) and the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF). Family Literacy Nights were designed to boost school readiness among kindergartners and first graders in Stamford’s South End who attend Springdale Elementary School.

“We’re really excited to kick off another year of this project,” Amanda Power, JLSN’s Signature Project Committee Chair, said. “We’ve seen enormous growth in just three years and are looking to continue in that trajectory. The teachers and parents really believe in this program and think it is a huge success for the students.”

A recent study from the National Center for Education Statistics showed that fewer than 38% of children in the fourth-grade have a below average reading level. But often times this is because children are not reading enough outside the classroom.

By bringing parents and teachers together for meaningful activities around literacy, SPEF and JLSN hope to encourage students in Stamford’s South End to read at home.

“Studies have revealed that the presence of books in the home has a greater influence on a child’s level of education than does the parents’ income, nationality, or level of education,” Stephanie O’Brien Putnam, JLSN’s President, said. “We value the importance of having in-home libraries and over the past 4 years, we have proudly distributed over 1,500 books to children in Fairfield County.”

In addition to building their home libraries, Family Literacy Nights offer parents resources to help their children succeed in school. This includes discussions about navigating the school system, reading a report card, and encouraging reading over the summer.

JLSN and SPEF plan to host five Family Literacy Nights during the 2016-2017 academic year.

About the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk

One of 293 member Leagues of the Association of Junior Leagues International, the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, Inc. (JLSN) is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. JLSN has over 300 active and sustaining members residing in Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Weston, Westport and Ridgefield.

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