Bedtime Story Reading Needs to Make a Comeback
Read to Kids US is a new 501(c)3 non-profit which will encourage grandparents to read to children every day.
Read to Kids US Inc, a new non-profit charity, plans to make reading bedtime stories to children a new craze.
Modern pressures (e.g., one or both parents with multiple jobs, remote work assignments, 24/7 cellphone access, video gaming, scheduling of organized sports for children at younger ages, the decrease in co-habiting extended families, etc.) have often eliminated the alone time young children have with a parent or opportunities to talk with a grandparent. The benefits of spending time reading with young children (e.g., reducing stress; learning valuable lessons about life; enhancing bonding and relationships, especially between grandparents who do not live nearby; creating life-long positive memories; etc.) are being lost.
The mission of Read to Kids US Inc is simply to encourage parents and grandparents to read to children 3-6 years old for 15 minutes a day.
“People are putting aside time daily for Pilates or meditation,” says Denise Meridith, Founder of Read to Kids US. “It is also important to set aside 15 minutes to share a beloved story with a child.”
Read to Kids US Inc will identify and promote writers and books that provide valuable, positive lessons; donate funds and books to charities which benefit child and animal welfare; partner with companies, influencers and donors who promote child literacy; and foster online and live events and activities that encourage parents and grandparents to read to children. The organization will rely heavily on modern media methods (e.g., social media, gamification, etc.).
The logo of the non-profit features Arry, a miniature red poodle, who was the inspiration for Meridith, who showed and bred dogs for 30 years. Arry is the main character in four children’s books on Amazon.com which are suitable for repeat readings and can be read to children in 15 minutes. The books are available both in paperback and online for use on Kindle and other tablets. To get people started, Read to Kids US Inc is offering a free Kindle copy2 (which can be read on any smart tablet) of Arry’s first book--The Dog Who Wished He Could Fly--as part of a Black Friday promotion from midnight November 26 to 11:59 PM on November 28 at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VZ44R8L
There are other authors, who are part of the inaugural group of writers highlighted on the non-profit’s website. Rodo and Susan Sofranac, use 100% of the profits from the sale of their books about Polly, the Peaputts, and other characters (www.rodowrites.com) to produce, purchase, and donate more books to over 120 schools and nonprofit agencies working on literacy development.
Lynn F. Austin, MBA, is a published author, 2017 Humanitarian Award recipient, business development coach, and professor in the Colangelo College of Business at Grand Canyon University and has more than 20 years of executive management experience at fortune 100 companies. Her books (https://www.lynnfaustin.com/category/the-newman-tales/) are about Newman, a rescued terrier mix she adopted. Children will learn from the books that, despite the hardships he has endured, and having been destined for the meat-trade industry in Taiwan, he maintains the best disposition imaginable. Lynn and Newman demonstrate that "When things seem really bad, beautiful things can still happen."
Caren Cantrell is a grandmother who writes stories about characters who are a little different and do not quite fit in with everyone else. She loves describing the adventures of an underdog, who rises to the challenge. She and her books are described at www.carencantrell.com/blog. Ages 0-5 “are the years when they are discovering the magic of words, learning how to exist in the world around them, and forming relationships. Picture books help a child navigate through the seas of information and feelings being tossed at him or her daily,” she says.
Another feature of Read to Kids US Inc is its goal to also provide professionally-vetted information about parenting and children’s literacy. The Read to Kids US Inc website features a monthly blog by Dr. Sally Goldberg (https://www.earlychildhoodnews.net/about-dr-sally). Dr. Goldberg is a professor, focused on early childhood education. She maintains that all people are a product of their experiences, and the earliest ones, which form the foundation, are most important. She has authored seven books, the latest being "Fun Baby Learning Games," which suggests 200 research-backed activities to provide children with a balance of meaningful experiences from birth to three in all areas--cognitive, motor, social, language and self-esteem.
Read to Kids US Inc also has an experienced, committed, and enthusiastic Board of Directors. Deborah Whitcas is a two-time daytime Emmy-winning producer and sports reporter who has worked in non-fiction programming for over 20 years, who enjoys spending time with her menagerie of pets. DeVerges B. Jones is a brand champion and growth strategist, with a broad background in billion-dollar consumer products, food service, hospitality, and fast food, as well as other product, industries for many Fortune 500 companies, including Pedigree and Whiskas pet foods. Ilana Lowery, who has over 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor, reporter, professor, television scriptwriter and producer, is currently the Arizona Regional Director of Common Sense Media. Her passion is “to empower and educate parents and teachers so that families are able to make smart choices in the digital world.” Arizonans are familiar with her dog Luca, often seen on Facebook.
“In an era of seemingly overwhelming problems from COVID to climate change,” says Meridith. “It is important to take whatever small steps we can to create moments of peace, security and fun for our children, even if it only starts with 15 minutes of our day.”
Denise Meridith
Denise Meridith Consultants Inc
+1 602-763-9900
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WATCH NOW: The Dog Who Wished He Could Fly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5c1YtBEsi8
1 http://www.readtokids.us
2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VZ44R8L