KENNEBUNK — A concerted effort is ongoing in the Kennebunk area to help promote literacy in preschool children throughout York County.

For the past year and a half, the Kennebunk Rotary Club Literacy Committee has collected and delivered hundreds of used children’s books to Head Start in Sanford to be distributed to each of the four Head Start programs in York County. 

According to Adrienne Angelo, Kennebunk Rotary Club Literacy Committee chair, the group has worked in conjunction with York County Community Action and the Head Start Program to help Head Start update their libraries and to discard soiled or ruined books.

“Once that was achieved, the deliveries of used books are now going home with the children to provide books in their home that belong to them,” Angelo said.

Being read to as a young child and being familiar with the predicable text in storytelling is how children begin the process of reading, she said.

“Loving books, and looking at the pictures telling the story, are the very beginning foundation to learning to read,” Angelo said.

She said that a second component to the committee’s literacy effort is to provide children up to 3 years old entering Head Start each fall with a new book and an accompanying stuffed animal associated with the book to bring home. 

“This new book, with a book-related stuffed animal from the story, starts these youngest children with ownership and the ability to have a special book to call their own,” Angelo said. “There is also the hope that a parent will take the time to regularly read this book to the child encouraging the road to reading through hearing predictable text.”

Studies have shown that children who have an opportunity to develop basic foundational skills in language and literacy in preschool enter kindergarten ready to learn to read and write, leading to future academic success.  

Angelo says that the committee’s ongoing commitment to promote literacy in young children and provide books in the home requires lots of used children’s books, so she’s asking the public to assist in the initiative through generously donating books to the effort. 

“Books are needed for the project to continue,” she said.

Angelo said that donation boxes for used children’s books can be found at Camden National Bank and both Kennebunk Savings Bank locations in Kennebunk.

Anyone with books that they would be willing to donate, can call Angelo at 216-4132, to arrange for a pick up and books also may be dropped off at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, located beside the Kennebunk Free Library.

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 ext. 326 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com.