Island Children Benefit From MICF Donation
By Sean Ely

This summer, the Mackinac Island Community Foundation sponsored the 30 children younger than five for enrollment in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that focuses on parent-child interaction as the essence of reading.

A child sponsored for one year will receive one ageappropriate hardcover book each month. A child enrolled from birth to age five will have built up a personal library of 60 books.

"Research tells us that the earlier kids are read to, the more natural reading actually becomes for them," said Becky Davis, early childhood education coordinator at the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District. "These children can obtain more information and expand their world through books. They generally do better in school, because the mode of teaching is through textbooks and other visual stimulants."

Participation in the program is available to families across the Eastern Upper Peninsula through the intermediate school district (ISD). Children can be enrolled in the program online or by calling the ISD office in Sault Ste. Marie. There is no cost to the family.

The Imagination Library determined that the more words a child hears, the larger the child's vocabulary will be. A larger vocabulary leads to a more proficient reader.

Books offer a source for understanding the world, Mrs. Davis said, and sitting down with their parents creates emotional contact with children.

"It puts them physically close to one another, providing that emotional comfort," Mrs. Davis said. "Reading with positive emotions tends to help children to like reading as they grow up. Learning to read very early helps children become good community members and develop as leaders. We don't want to start when they graduate high school, we want to start when they are young. That's what this program does."

Mackinac Island is the only community in Mackinac, Chippewa, or Luce counties to sponsor 100% of its child population in the program.

"Just because the Island has only 30 children doesn't mean it was easy to sponsor them all," Mrs. Davis said. "There are only 'X' number of families to contribute to that foundation, so it's not any easier to do. It's obvious that the Community Foundation values its children on Mackinac Island."

The national project pays for two-thirds of the cost to buy and ship the books to each household, while the local sponsor normally pays the remaining one-third, or $30. The Community Foundation took care of this step, giving $900 for the community's children approaching kindergarten.

After first hearing the idea, Jennifer Bloswick, executive director of the Community Foundation, passed the idea on to the Youth Advisory Council.

"It was almost a no-brainer to give it right to the Youth Advisory Council, and after they looked at it, there was very little debate about giving the grant," she said.

"It is a wonderful opportunity available across the country, and we are happy that we can bring it to kids on Mackinac Island," Mrs. Bloswick said.

The books each month are chosen by a selection committee of teachers, authors, parents, and librarians, who make sure the book goes along with each child's specific age.

Enrolling at birth, a child would first receive "The Little Engine That Could." On their fifth birthday, children would receive a book preparing them for school called "Kindergarten Here I Come."

"We realize purchasing high quality books isn't always easy, and reading just once a month doesn't answer all the questions, so going to the library is something that parents will find their children wanting to do because of this Imagination Library," Mrs. Davis said.

Every year, the program takes on new books, so one child turning two years old could receive a book different from a sibling turning two in a different year.

There are also parent educators, such as Joan Jorgensen, who makes home visits and supervises play groups for children who are not in school yet, but have parents who want them to interact with other children their age, developing social skills. It gives parents the opportunity to talk with other parents in similar situations, passing along tips on parenting, as well as information on other local programs.

During the home visits, Mrs. Jorgensen conducts development assessments in which she gives the parents an idea of the child's progress compared to others.

The members of the educational team at the intermediate school district realize that it is important to go beyond literacy to be ready to succeed in life. Parent educator visits are free of charge.

"Working with babies is very pleasurable for me," Mrs. Jorgensen said. "I love to see children enjoy themselves and figure new things out. Everything is new to them, and seeing them explore and find it out is rewarding. I think that it's nice to help parents when there is a delay in some areas, giving a child a better start than if there wasn't someone there to help."

Mrs. Jorgensen loves pointing out the positive things that parents can do with their child, such as reading with them, complimenting them, talking to them about a book's illustrations, and being an advocate for them.

"It's a really positive thing and a real growth experience for some parents," she said.

She often thinks back to when her children were younger, when she wishes that she knew more than she did at that time. She understands that others may feel the same way.

"It's just a great opportunity for new parents to ask questions. Parents should feel good having the time to interact with their children, because from birth to kindergarten is the best opportunity for growth. Things that are given to them at that time last forever. It's a time that parents can feel good about seeing progress and realizing the difference they can make in their child's life," she said.

The books collected from the program can be passed down to siblings or friends, giving the Imagination Library another positive result.

"It helps their motor skills, in turning more pages, their thinking skills, talking about what is going in a picture, and developing their imagination," Mrs. Jorgensen said. "This will make them better students and better citizens throughout their lives. If every child could do this, it would have a huge impact on society in the long run."

Some grandparents from Mackinac Island have sponsored grandchildren who live in Chippewa or Luce counties.

"The best intervention is prevention, and it's important to identify kids' strengths and give them the best opportunities we can to succeed in school," Mrs. Davis said. "We begin with education the day they are born, not right before preschool. Parents are the first and best teachers for the children."

The ISD recognizes that they should start before special education is needed. They stress the fact that they want to keep children out of that arena. The project may help prevent poor test scores in school, according to the intermediate school district, or the inability to finish high school simply because of low reading skills.

"We increase the possibilities and better the chances of being successful," she said.

Parents can register their children for the program electronically at www.eupkids.com. Firsttime parents can order a free packet, or a Read, Educate, and Develop Youth kit, which gives reading ideas, a video, a book, and parenting tips for children younger than one year. Children don't have to be enrolled in the Imagination Library to obtain this packet.