Elevating Children’s Literacy in Guilford County: Mac Barnett to Visit N.C. A&T
It is often surprising to find out that children who have been read to daily are exposed to well over 290,000+ more words by the time they enter kindergarten than their peers who haven’t been read to. Reading with children is one of the most important things we can do to ensure that children develop strong literacy skills by third grade. By fourth grade, children start ‘reading to learn’ rather than ‘learning to read’ and this is the point when many fall behind and never catch up. But why is reading to children early in life such an important part of preparing them to read well on their own?
Books are Important Because…
- Books help babies and toddlers learn that words AND pictures can be interpreted, priming their brains to learn to read.
- A picture book can expose children to many more unique words than everyday conversation with parents, building their vocabulary.
- Books help kids develop empathy, exposing them to children with very different experiences than their own.
- Experts say that exposure to words is the single most important thing we can do to help children build language pathways in their brains (source: Laura Phillips, Ph.D.)
- Books build background knowledge for young children. That knowledge builds a scaffolding for them as they enter school that makes future learning faster.
- Books can build the caregiver/child bond. If reading a book is paired with the sensory experience of sitting on a caring adult’s lap, it engages more neurons in the brain and creates positive lifelong associations with reading.
- Books build connections to life. A book could help an adult talk about an upcoming surgery, talk through big emotions, or explore the feelings of other people. Think Read and Discuss Stories.
Elevating Literacy in Guilford County
Communities that elevate literacy are invested in getting children excited about reading. That is why it is so exciting that Greensboro is welcoming author, Mac Barnett, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Greensboro is one of only six cities nationwide selected to host the award-winning author during his 2025 nationwide tour as national ambassador.
Barnett is known for his deep respect for children – for their intelligence, their emotional acumen, and their time and attention. Barnett has won numerous prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Awards, three E.B. White Read Aloud Awards, and an International Children’s Literature Award, among others.
During his two-year term as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Barnett will celebrate the children’s picture book through his platform, Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear, and See. Barnett will explore the deeply impactful ways picture books blend words and illustrations to create a uniquely powerful reading experience, one that is often the foundation for a lifetime of reading.
Barnett will be reading and speaking on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. in Harrison Auditorium, 1009 Bluford St on the campus of N.C. A&T State University. Admission is free and every child who attends will receive one of Barnett’s books. You can register here to attend.
Bring a child in your life and get them excited about books!