Great post by JoAnn Kairys!
JoAnn Kairys
Before I could read, colorful illustrations were magnets for my eyes. I loved the images so much that I made up stories to go along with them. Little by little, I discerned the actual words. My big sister taught me a few letters, starting with “B” and “A.” That helped me decipher the word “beast” in the classic story, Beauty and the Beast. From 2 letters, a world opened, and I haven’t stopped traveling there since.
I’ll always be thankful for the gift of literacy. Many children across the world aren’t as fortunate.
Research shows that when adults introduce reading to children, discuss stories, ask questions, explain the meaning of words, and point out letters, they promote language development, comprehension of content, and a better understanding of language — all of which result in literacy success. Unfortunately, 37% of children in America arrive at kindergarten lacking the skills needed for lifetime learning.
This is why I’m passionate about promoting children’s reading and literacy.
Recently, I learned about the National Education Association’s Read Across America Project. Started in 1997, this program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources. The project starts every year on March 2 — the birthday of Dr. Seuss.
Read Across America inspired me to launch a children’s literacy awareness project, “Bloggers Read Across the Globe (BRAG).”
The official BRAG kick-off starts here, Tuesday, February 28, with more detailed information, including the daily schedule. Starting February 29, I’ll be guest posting on many wonderful bloggers’ websites with topics related to literacy, writing, illustrating, publishing and marketing children’s books. My hope is that we’ll learn fantastic ideas from each other about children and reading, and share thoughts and comments from many perspectives.
Participate in BRAG and qualify for a GRAND FINALE bonus to be announced on February 29, 2012 — Leap into Literacy Day! Here’s how to join the event:
- Follow the guest posts by leaving a comment, question, or suggestion about that day’s post.
- Insert the BRAG logo on your blog or website with a link back to this post.
- Introduce yourself here — tell us something about yourself and share information about literacy in your part of the world.
- It would be awesome if you wrote your own BRAG blog and linked back to this post.
I’ve lined up some very special offers, giveaways and bonuses for participants. Here are some samples:
- Children’s book giveaways from award winning authors
- Free consultation with an award winning book designer
- Free consultation with a highly successful literary agent
- Free consultation with a top online book marketing expert
- Downloadable reading tips for parents and adults
- Your selected children’s book featured by BRAG
Many thanks to the children’s book authors and industry professionals participating in the 2012 inaugural BRAG! I also want to thank my wonderful team for helping me pull this together, including Frank Thompson, BRAG logo designer and Co-Illustrator of my children’s book, Sunbelievable.
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