Gainesville kindergartners will begin accumulating their first personal collection of books this week.
On Thursday, 150 students at Duval Early Learning Academy, located at 2106 NE Eighth Ave., will receive a “starter library” — a drawstring bag filled with five books. The donation, organized by the Junior League of Gainesville, will give children an opportunity to build on an existing collection of books.
The Junior League, an organization made up of female volunteers that aims to improve the lives of local children and families, has donated more than 2,500 starter libraries to young students in the past four years.
The purpose of the program, called Read With Me, is to expose children to literacy and encourage families to emphasize the importance of reading, said Lin Lim, the chair of the organization’s literacy initiative.
She said the excitement and joy the children experience when receiving the starter libraries is rewarding in and of itself.
“The whole idea of the program is for children to have their achievements recognized and for them to be proud of themselves,” she said.
Because the Junior League is starting a new food and security committee, Lim said this will be the last year the organization donates starter libraries to local students.
Erica Warring, the assistant principal of Duval Academy, said the Junior League’s involvement has positively encouraged students to work with their parents while learning to read.
“Many of our kids have learned how to read this year, so the starter libraries are a great way to bridge the summer as they continue to practice and develop a love for reading and learning.” Warring says.
