Lake Co. family reading program wins Target grant

An active literacy supporter, the Target Corporation recently awarded a $2,000 Early Childhood Reading Grant to the Families Learning Together program administered by the Waukegan Public Library, College of Lake County and the Literacy Volunteers of Lake County.

Families Learning Together offers free family literacy classes at the library and four other sites throughout Lake County.

For more than 15 years, the program has assisted parents without a high school or general education diploma (GED) and their children ages 6 and younger. College of Lake County instructors teach the parents reading, writing and math, while their children work on kindergarten preparation skills like letter recognition and counting.

Parents also attend parenting workshops on topics like nutrition, safety and discipline. Every week during the 16-week program, each family receives a new children's book and guidance on how the parents can engage their children in reading.

“With the support of the Target Early Childhood Reading Grant, we will be able to introduce the joy of reading to more children and their parents and lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning,” said Gale Graves, family literacy coordinator at the Waukegan Public Library.

During the 2009-10 academic year, 99 families participated in the program. Fourteen parents went on to earn a GED, including one student who earned the Carol Morris Family Literacy Scholarship to attend the College of Lake County. All participating children demonstrated new pre-reading skills and an increased interest in reading.

“Public libraries are responsible for creating a culture of literacy,” said Elizabeth Stearns, assistant director of community services at the Waukegan Public Library. “We're thrilled to partner in a program that's so successful in achieving that mission.”

For details on Families Learning Together or other literacy services, call Graves at (847) 623-2041.