Home Libraries Expanded with Magic Postcards
by Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director – United Way of Charlotte County
When David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear on television in front of a live audience, magic history was made. It was April 8, 1983. He dazzled the world with an illusion that seemed impossible, even for those who saw it with their own eyes.
But I believe that something even more magical took place later that same year. That was the airing of the first episode of Reading Rainbow.
Much like Sesame Street in its intent to bring education directly into the homes of young children, Reading Rainbow set itself apart with its clear focus on encouraging a love for reading. Each episode had a featured book, and host LeVar Burton used a variety of approaches to bring topics from the story to life on the screen.
The show ran for 21 seasons and earned over 200 awards. More importantly, the children viewers loved the books they were exposed to so much, that sales of some titles increased by 800 percent. Reading Rainbow not only encouraged a love for reading but also a love for having a home library.
The Patterson Foundation also strives to encourage a love of reading. Through the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, they coordinate a variety of efforts across our region to promote early childhood literacy.
United Way of Charlotte County (UWCC) is the lead agency for Charlotte County’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, and probably our favorite intervention involves getting together to stuff Kindergarten Readiness Bags for every incoming kindergarten student in our county.
This year’s stuffing event was held on Feb. 22. With materials provided by The Patterson Foundation and the help of 51 volunteers, UWCC was able to assemble and distribute nearly 1,200 bags of educational resources to preschool age children in Charlotte County. Children who attend a preschool program (VPK) should have already received their bags, and children who are not in a VPK program will be able to pick a bag up at Kindergarten Round-Up in April.
As I have shared in a previous column, these bags are stuffed with flashcards, literacy charts, magnetic letters, drawing paper, jumbo crayons, a Josh the Baby Otter book, and Magic Postcards. What I didn’t share was the MAGIC of those Magic Postcards.
Inside every bright yellow Kindergarten Readiness Bag is a postcard that is postage-paid and ready to be mailed. Parents and caregivers simply need to fill out the card and drop it in their mailbox. After the card is whisked away by your local mail carrier, the magic begins. In a short time, each postcard that is received by The Patterson Foundation is magically converted into another book that will be delivered to the family who sent it. No cost. No strings attached. Pure magic.
These families have now grown their home library by two new books just in time for kindergarten.
I know I said that the postcards are magic. But I hope you realize that they truly are not. They are made of paper and only hold value if they are mailed in. The real magic comes after that.
Do you know what the real magic is?
What is more magical than David Copperfield and more magical than reading the most amazing book? Sharing a book with a loved one – that’s the real magic. My guess is that the vast majority of preschool age children are not yet readers. This means that parents and caregivers have a big responsibility in making the most of this home library.
They are the ones who get to bring magic into their homes.
If your family has received a Kindergarten Readiness Bag, be sure to mail those postcards in. And if you would like to know more about UWCC’s efforts to increase grade-level reading in Charlotte County, please visit www.unitedwayccfl.org/suncoast-campaign-grade-level-reading.
For more information about United Way of Charlotte County’s mission: Mobilizing the power of our community to break the cycle of poverty, please contact Angie Matthiessen, Executive Director. She can be reached at director@unitedwayccfl.org.