Tennessee First Lady Crissy Haslam understands that learning begins at home. She launched the Read20 Family Book Club in 2012 as a way to encourage Tennessee families to read together for at least 20 minutes every day. A parent’s role as a child’s first teacher begins at birth. Crissy hopes to encourage parents as they do their part to prepare their children for the classroom and engage in the academic achievement of elementary and middle school students.
The book club is designed for children of all ages, and can take on any form that suits your family’s particular schedule or situation. For example, parents may choose to read to their toddlers at bedtime, while older children might read to a younger brother or sister after school.
Each month, a new book is selected as the featured “Book of the Month.” And the Read20 Family Book Club also offers ideas for family activities that relate back to the book—whether it’s an art project or a trip to the local farmers’ market or park.
What are the goals of the Read20 Family Book Club?
- Encourage an early love of reading, while boosting vocabulary, reading skills and comprehension.
- Promote family literacy, along with school readiness.
- Offer Tennessee families an easy way to bond and build routine, by reading with their children for at least 20 minutes every day.
- Give parents important tools and fun activities that will allow them to be more involved in their children’s learning.
Open Up a Book of Possibilities
To learn more about the First Lady’s Read20 Family Book Club or to sign up for book club updates, visit Read20 or look for information at your local public library.
*The Tennessee Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped provides books and magazines in audio and braille formats for children who have a physical disability which makes it difficult for them to read standard print. Qualifying disabilities include: blindness, low vision, manual dexterity problems which prevent holding a book and/or turning pages and reading disabilities.
On the 3rd Friday of every month, the Tennessee Library for the Blind will be holding call in Storytime for young and young at heart patrons! To be a part of this program you need only call the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and sign up to receive the monthly Story Envelope. Included in this envelope are special craft items, the phone number to call in on, and a set of instructions for a family craft to help keep the story time magic going! On the day of, all you need to do is call in and a Storytime Leader will talk your child through the crafts and read a story to go along with the theme for that month. To sign up for the mailing list or to ask more questions, contact Erin Savage at (800)342-3308 or by emailing erin.savage@tn.gov