May is National Get Caught Reading Month!

In addition to Child Identification, we here at Ident-A-Kid are also concerned with the literacy of children worldwide. Reading to your children and teaching your children to read is a very important part of their development. May is National Get Caught Reading month. Below is some information from getcaughtreading.org about the importance of teaching children to read and reading to your children.

Get Caught Reading is a nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read. May is Get Caught Reading month, but the campaign is promoted throughout the year. Get Caught Reading is supported by the Association of American Publishers (AAP). Launched in 1999, "Get Caught Reading" is the brainchild of former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, President and Chief Executive Officer of AAP, the industry association representing book publishers. She saw the opportunity to spread the word about the joys of reading through an industry-supported literacy campaign.

Because of research indicating that early language experience actually stimulates a child's brain to grow and that reading to children gives them a huge advantage when they start school, we hope to encourage people of all ages to enjoy books and magazines and to share that pleasure with the young children in their lives.

Get Caught Reading is honored to have the support of well known figures including First Lady Laura Bush, Drew Carey, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Donald Duck, Patty Duke, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Graham, Derek Jeter, Vernon Jordan, Jake Lloyd, Rosie O'Donnell, Dolly Parton, The Rugrats, Jane Seymour, Sammy Sosa, Spider Man, Erik Weihenmayer, and Robin Williams, who have all been "caught reading" their favorite books and magazines for print ads and posters seen by millions of people across the country. In addition, more than 200 Members of Congress have been photographed "caught reading" on Capitol Hill.

Hundreds of teachers and librarians across the U.S. have embraced the campaign. They are setting up "Get Caught Reading" corners, allocating a special time each day for leisure reading, and taking photos of students "caught reading" for classroom posters.

Fact Sheet on the Importance of Reading to Infants and Young Children

American families need relevant, focused, timely information concerning their children's well-being. Most parents know that it is nice to read to children every day, but are unaware of the newest discoveries in neuroscience showing that reading aloud actually stimulates the growth of a baby's brain. The AAP has put together a short list of citations to help adults understand that reading aloud to children is as important as fastening their seat belts and providing good nutrition.

A burst of research activity in the past few years is giving us a whole new understanding of how the brain develops and the crucial role of early language experiences, including reading.
Extraordinary advances in neuroscience have been facilitated by the development of sophisticated research tools such as brain imaging technologies, making it possible to study the actual growth and workings of the brain.

These technological advances have come at a time of growing concern about the health, well-being and academic achievement of America's children. Several important conferences, including a White House Summit in the Spring of 1997, have focused not only on the scientific findings but on their public policy implications as well.

What the research shows:

An infant's brain structure is not genetically determined. Early experiences have a decisive impact on the architecture of a baby's brain.

"A child care provider reads to a toddler. And in a matter of seconds, thousands of cells in these children's growing brains respond. Some brain cells are 'turned on,' triggered by this particular experience. Many existing connections among brain cells are strengthened. At the same time, new brain cells are formed, adding a bit more definition and complexity to the intricate circuitry that will remain largely in place for the rest of these children's lives."

The development of early literacy skills through early experiences with books and stories is critically linked to a child's success in learning to read.

Development of literacy is a continuous process that begins early in life and depends heavily on environmental influences.

Children who are read to from an early age are more successful at learning to read.
". . . reading aloud to children is the single most important intervention for developing their literacy skills," according to a 1985 study by the National Commission on Reading.

Early reading experiences are now recognized as being of such importance that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that "pediatricians prescribe reading activities along with other instructions given to parents at the time of well-child visits." The President of the Academy, Dr. Robert E. Hannemann, stated: "We strongly recommend daily reading to children from six months of age."

For more information about Get Caught Reading month and to access promotional items, please visit http://www.getcaughtreading.org/

For more information about Ident-A-Kid and Child Identification, please visit our website at http://www.identakid.com/