Published: June 27, 2008 11:53 am         

Storytelling

Passing on a love for reading

Congratulations to Reading Railroad on its second annual “Meet me at the Berry Patch” event last weekend.

Nearly 70 children gathered in the Berry Patch at Logansport High School on a Saturday morning to listen to stories about butterflies, frogs and owls.

The event couldn’t have happened without volunteers, and we offer our thanks to the folks who took time out of their weekend to help Logansport’s next generation develop a love of reading.

The biggest part of that task is to convince these youngsters that reading is fun, and one sure way to do that is to read to them in a setting surrounded by nature’s beauty.

Once they develop that habit, of course, the setting won’t matter. A book can take you on a journey to exciting places without ever leaving your chair. You can solve a mystery or take a trip into outer space.

In the beginning, though, the setting is critical, and the best one is nestled in Dad’s lap or leaning over Mom’s arm. The mission of Reading Railroad is to convince the parents of pre-schoolers to read to their kids at least 20 minutes a day.

Such moments truly qualify as quality time.

And the kids get far more than a story. They get a positive experience that they will forever associate with a good book.

Parents who invest that 20 minutes a day give their children a leg up on their fellow students. Kids who spend a lot of time curled up with a book simply do better in school.

Every child who turned out for Saturday’s program had a chance to pick out a free book, courtesy of the Reading Railroad. Patty Brown, the program’s director, said the reason was simple.

“The more books we can get into the hands of children, the more they will appreciate and love reading,” she said.

We applaud Reading Railroad and its supporters for their efforts. Thanks to their hard work, more and more youngsters are developing an appreciation for the written word, and they’re setting themselves up for greater success in school.