MCUW teams up with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for for “Families Reading Every Day”

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - The latest research indicates that kids who grow up with warm, nurturing, and actively involved families: do better in school, have higher self-esteem, build better relationships with other kids, develop healthier ideas of how they should behave as adults, and eventually grow into more successful adults. One of the best ways for families to actively engage with one another is through reading. Reading to your children and listening to your children read provides quality time that not only fosters a loving family environment but also creates learning opportunities that wouldn’t present themselves otherwise.

Montgomery County United Way and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension understand the value of the role families play in their children’s education. They have teamed up to present “Families Reading Every Day” or F.R.E.D. for short. Their goal is to promote reading as a family activity as well as a way for parents, siblings, and other family members to take on a more active role in their child’s education.

F.R.E.D. volunteer reading opportunities happen twice a year – once in the spring and again in the fall. This November, volunteers ranging from working professionals to corporate retirees to prominent members of the community gathered to visit 3 early childhood education centers to read aloud to the children. Armed with colorful books, certificates, and give away prizes, the volunteers were greeted with happy smiles, hugs and laughter as they engaged children and demonstrated the joy of reading.

Among the many community volunteers showing their support for the F.R.E.D. program was beloved Conroe ISD Superintendent, Dr. Don Stockton. “The Families Reading Every Day (F.R.E.D.) program is a great initiative focusing on the benefits of reading with children. This program aligns with Conroe ISD's Read For a Better Life platform because reading daily is the single most important thing you can do for a child.” – Dr. Don Stockton

Amy Ressler with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension coordinates the volunteer effort along with Karen Howard, Education Director at Montgomery County United Way. Ms. Ressler states, “Texas A&M AgriLife is pleased to partner with United Way on the F.R.E.D. project in Montgomery County Head Start sites. The project has a number of positive aspects including connecting communities and involving a variety of different people.”

???? ????Lone Star Trails Community of Girl Scouts and the local VFW collected books, and each child was able to go home with a book to start their at-home F.R.E.D. project. With the incentives United Way offered, families were motivated to participate in the project. Ms. Howard commented, “Montgomery County United Way deeply appreciates the overwhelming volunteer response to this initiative on the part of the Montgomery County community.”

Overall, this is an exciting and encouraging project reaching about 350 families in Montgomery County. As the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension mission is to improve lives and improve Texas, and the Montgomery County United Way mission is to improve lives and create lasting change, it’s a natural partnership, and the work being produced by this collaboration is right on target making Montgomery County a better place to live.

For more information about Families Reading Every Day and other initiatives through Montgomery County United Way, visit www.MCUW.org or call 281.292.4155.