Kentucky

One of the things that will help children read is the example parents set by reading - not only to children, but reading for themselves, for pleasure. When children see parents reading, they want to read too. When children sit down to their homework, pick up a book. It can be anything. Books fill our lives with thought.

Central Kentucky News Journal
Sunday, January 29, 2006
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Reading Kickstarts Education

With the emphasis on eliminating illiteracy across our country, it's up to all of us to do everything we can to encourage children's interest in reading.

If we can make education more interesting to students and, in turn, they learn what's being taught, perhaps their future - and ours - will look brighter.

Illiteracy is a fundamental barrier to every major challenge facing Kentucky, including early childhood education, education reform, economic development and improving the health and well-being of Kentucky's families and communities.

According to the Legislative Research Commission, about 1 million Kentucky adults, many of whom are already in the workforce, lack the basic skills necessary to function more effectively in their jobs or as members of their communities.

One million! And as our population increases, one would reasonably assume that number would increase as well. It's up to all of us to see that it doesn't.

Enticing young children to read the newspaper can often be difficult. At such a tender age, not many are interested in news or events that don't affect them. But if we can catch their attention when they're young, we hope that in time they'll be come lifelong readers.

That's why we participate in a statewide reading project each year. And this year's project, which finished up at the end of last year, has a sequel.

Fresh from his trip across the Bluegrass State, Woody - the Kentucky Wiener Dog - is back in another 10-week serial story.

Last Thursday, we published Chapter 1 of "Big Dog Mystery." After arriving home from his recent trip across Kentucky, Woody finds a letter addressed to him, asking for help. Without a return address to reply to, Woody prints his response in as many newspapers as possible, inadvertently becoming an advice columnist while eagerly waiting for a response from Blue to the Bone.

The story, sponsored by The Kentucky Press Association, is written by Kentucky children's author Leigh Anne Florence and illustrated by James Asher.

One of the many goals of the serial story is to introduce children to the daily routine of reading their local newspaper while imparting important lessons such as obeying parents and working hard in school.

We're just trying to do our part to teach children the fun in reading for pleasure