Striving Readers Grant is an Opportunity for the Whole Community

You may remember that Rugby Public Schools was awarded a North Dakota Striving Readers Grant this past fall. It is a federal grant aimed at improving literacy from birth to grade 12. This a wonderful opportunity for our schools, but also for our community! 

Not only do we have some exciting new things going on in K-12 due to this grant, but we are now able to provide literacy programming for children in our community who are in the birth to age five range. 

Karen Black and Gail Rham have been hired to assist us with the birth to age five literacy programming in our community.  Many of you will recognize these names as they were both teachers at Ely Elementary for many years.  They have extensive knowledge working with young students, and are very excited to start working with little ones in our community. 

The Heart of American Library and many of Rugby’s daycare providers have agreed to take part in this literacy programming.  Twice a month Karen and Gail will be doing Story Hour at the Heart of America Library.  This month’s topic will be “Rhyming, Sequencing, and Retelling.”  Story Hour is every Friday from 10:15-11:00AM. We hope to see more families attend this great opportunity!
Similar programming will be provided to our local childcare providers. Mrs. Black and Mrs. Rham will be working with the following childcare providers, Growing Place Daycare, The Kids Next Door, Mindy Stier, Connie Grove, Mandy Kuhnhenn, and Terry Lemar. 

RPS has partnered with the Heart of America Johnson Clinic and the First District Health Unit.  RPS will be providing books to both clinics.  The medical providers will provide books to babies and toddlers as they come in for their well-child visits, as well as continuing to talk about the importance of literacy at an early age. 

Reading, rhyming, singing, and talking — beginning from birth — profoundly influence literacy and language development, the foundations for all other learning!