Reading Program for Kindergartners, Available to Community Families

Sept. 12, 2010 - PRLog -- Lake Elsinore, CA, Sunday, September 12th:  Elsinore First Assistance Center (EFAC) announced that it has been awarded a Verizon Literacy Grant to expand and continue their Elsinore READ (Reading Early, Achieving Dreams) program. Verizon will be presenting the award in a special presentation Tuesday night, September 14, 2010 before the Lake Elsinore City Council Meeting at 7 p.m. Designed to support early reading and high student achievement, Elsinore READ prepares community volunteers as reading tutors, trains parents how to teach their children to read, and offers after-school reading classes directly to kindergartners.

Using the Ready, Set, Read curriculum, formerly Vera Clark’s Teach Me To Read English in 100 Easy Lessons, Elsinore READ is presented in collaboration with local author and elementary teacher Vera Clark, M.A. Vera Clark is a teacher at Elsinore Elementary School and is volunteering her time to train and apprentice community volunteers and parents in the use of the program. The book, provided through Elsinore READ, includes everything needed to teach a child (or adult) to read, including flashcards and simple, step-by-step instructions. In just fifteen minutes a day, parents can use these simple two-page lessons to teach their child to read.

“Many students struggle in school, and early success in reading is clearly related to future academic success. Through Elsinore READ, we hope to support families and schools in bridging the reading gap that begins in kindergarten,” according to April Moore, chairperson of Elsinore First Assistance Center’s advisory board. “Elsinore First Assistance Center is passionate about meeting the needs of our community. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with local schools and libraries as we expand the program through this Verizon Literacy Grant.”

Free training and curriculum will be provided to the first 60 tutors. Registration for families, which includes all trainings, curriculum, and materials, is $5 per family for the first 150 families.  More information and event dates will be available at www.elsinorefac.org or by e-mailing info@elsinorefac.org. Training seminars and reading classes will be held at Elsinore First Assembly of God at 19740 Grand Avenue, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 beginning in October, 2010.

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EFAC is dedicated to meeting the needs of individuals, families, and communities by providing services and assistance to strengthen the total person physically, socially, and emotionally.