KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Families across Osceola County now have access to a new early literacy program designed to help children build reading and language skills before they enter kindergarten.
The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County, in partnership with Experience Kissimmee, Wild Florida, Osceola Reads, and the Osceola Library System, has launched Read to Rise, a countywide family literacy initiative that provides free educational resources, hands-on activity kits, and learning opportunities for children from birth through age 6.
The initiative was created to make early literacy resources more accessible while encouraging families to incorporate reading and learning into everyday routines. Program leaders say the goal is to strengthen school readiness by helping parents and caregivers engage children in activities that build foundational literacy skills at home.
Read to Rise features eight themed literacy activity kits focused on essential early learning concepts, including letter recognition, beginning sounds, rhyming, vocabulary development, sight words, word building, syllables, and story retelling. Each kit includes interactive activities families can complete together and is paired with instructional videos available in both English and Spanish.
Educational research has consistently shown that many of the skills needed for reading success begin developing long before children start school. By promoting reading, conversation, play, and shared learning experiences, organizers hope the initiative will help prepare more children for academic success while strengthening family involvement in early education.
Families can currently check out Read to Rise activity kits at Hart Memorial Central Library in Kissimmee. Participants who complete activities and surveys will also have opportunities to earn prizes, including admission tickets to Wild Florida and other family-friendly incentives.
To mark the launch of the program, community partners will host a free public celebration on Friday, June 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hart Memorial Central Library, located at 211 E. Dakin Avenue in Kissimmee.
The event will feature story times, interactive literacy activities, educational experiences presented by Wild Florida, library card registration, free books, giveaways, and information about local resources available to families.
Organizers say Read to Rise is intended to be a year-round community initiative, with local partners continuing to promote the program and encourage participation throughout Osceola County.
The Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County, established in 1999, administers state and federally funded early learning programs, including School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten, serving more than 4,500 children throughout the county.
La Coalición de Aprendizaje Temprano del Condado de Osceola Lanza la Iniciativa de Alfabetización Familiar “Read to Rise”
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Las familias del condado de Osceola ahora cuentan con un nuevo programa de alfabetización temprana diseñado para ayudar a los niños a desarrollar habilidades de lectura y lenguaje antes de ingresar al kindergarten.
La Coalición de Aprendizaje Temprano del Condado de Osceola, en colaboración con Experience Kissimmee, Wild Florida, Osceola Reads y el Sistema de Bibliotecas del Condado de Osceola, lanzó Read to Rise, una iniciativa comunitaria que ofrece recursos educativos gratuitos, kits interactivos de alfabetización y oportunidades de aprendizaje para niños desde el nacimiento hasta los 6 años.
El programa busca facilitar el acceso a herramientas de aprendizaje temprano y motivar a las familias a incorporar la lectura y el aprendizaje en su rutina diaria. Sus organizadores destacan que el objetivo es fortalecer la preparación escolar mediante actividades sencillas que los padres y cuidadores pueden realizar en casa con sus hijos.
Read to Rise incluye ocho kits educativos enfocados en habilidades fundamentales como el reconocimiento de letras, sonidos iniciales, rimas, vocabulario, palabras de uso frecuente, formación de palabras, sílabas y comprensión de historias. Cada kit contiene actividades prácticas y videos educativos disponibles en inglés y español.
Las familias pueden solicitar los kits en préstamo en la Biblioteca Central Hart Memorial en Kissimmee. Además, quienes completen las actividades y encuestas podrán participar por premios, incluyendo entradas para Wild Florida y otros incentivos familiares.
Para celebrar el lanzamiento, las organizaciones participantes realizarán un evento comunitario gratuito el viernes 26 de junio, de 10:00 a.m. a 1:00 p.m., en la Biblioteca Central Hart Memorial, ubicada en 211 E. Dakin Avenue, Kissimmee.
La actividad contará con horas de cuentos, experiencias interactivas de lectura, actividades educativas, inscripción para obtener la tarjeta de la biblioteca, libros gratuitos, obsequios e información sobre recursos disponibles para las familias.
Los organizadores señalaron que Read to Rise continuará desarrollándose durante todo el año con el apoyo de organizaciones comunitarias para promover la alfabetización temprana y la preparación escolar de los niños del condado de Osceola.
Em Português
Osceola lança iniciativa gratuita para incentivar a alfabetização infantil
KISSIMMEE, Flórida — A Early Learning Coalition of Osceola County, em parceria com Experience Kissimmee, Wild Florida, Osceola Reads e o Sistema de Bibliotecas de Osceola, lançou o Read to Rise, um programa gratuito que oferece kits educativos, atividades e recursos para ajudar crianças de 0 a 6 anos a desenvolver habilidades de leitura antes de ingressarem na escola.
As famílias podem retirar os kits na Hart Memorial Central Library, em Kissimmee, e participar de atividades para concorrer a prêmios. O evento oficial de lançamento acontece na sexta-feira, 26 de junho, das 10h às 13h, com contação de histórias, livros gratuitos, atividades educativas e diversão para toda a família.
