Southgate has joined other river cities in adopting a Read Ready program designed to promote literacy and kindergarten readiness for children throughout the city.
Community members packed the city council meeting on Wednesday night to show support for a resolution to create the program, part of an initiative supported by EducateNKY.
Led by the city, the program is a partnership between the city, area schools, libraries, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and others working together to ensure children from prenatal through age 5 are ready to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.
Strong community support
Several community members and educators spoke to urge council to pass the resolution.
Joyce Hamberg, president of the Southgate Educational Foundation, said that with her 45 years of experience as an educator and school administrator, she knows how vital early learning and kindergarten readiness are for young children.
“I just want to tell you how important it is to support the resolution, because we as a community want our children to start school ready to read, and this is an opportunity that we don’t want to miss,” she said.
“In our district, there was a time when our kindergarten readiness numbers were right around 27%,” said Southgate Independent School District Superintendent Greg Duty. “I’m proud to say right now that those numbers last year were above 70%.”
Speaking to city officials, he said, “Let’s partner together. What I like about this is the funds are going to the city, and then we’re going to support you all in what you’re doing. And that’s why I’m excited for us to come together.”
Read ready in the river cities
Representatives of EducateNKY were on hand to answer questions about the Read Ready program initiative and how it works with communities.
The initiative is part of a regional Read Ready program, supported by EducateNKY, which works to ensure children from prenatal to age 5 have the support they need to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.
“So many people are wrapping arms around this work for the good of our kids,” said Jenny Watson, vice president of Early Learning & Family Power at EducateNKY. “From the EducateNKY standpoint, what we’re trying to do is take what started in Covington about six or seven years ago and elevate it and allow the cities to be the lead in this by providing some seed grant money for the city.”
The Read Ready movement began in Covington, where partnerships and citywide commitment led to increased coordination in support of early learning outcomes. Since then, river cities across Northern Kentucky have adopted the model with support from EducateNKY.
“What does this work look like in Southgate?” asked Watson. “And part of that is what I like to call an asset map. What are the great things, resources, and assets that Southgate has in particular? How do we leverage those resources, elevate those resources, coordinate those resources, and figure out what’s missing?”
She gave examples of things happening through the Read Ready initiative. Working with St. Elizabeth Healthcare and libraries in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties, the parents of all babies born in the healthcare system receive a QR code leading them to register for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Through that program, the child would be mailed a developmentally appropriate book free every month from birth to age three. Another opportunity available free through Read Ready is the Footsteps to Brilliance app, a language-driven app for ages three to eight.
Watson said she hopes to work with Southgate officials and educators to identify and provide more wraparound programs and support designed to promote early learning throughout the community. She added that the program is available to all community schools, both public and parochial.
Council passed the resolution unanimously, and joins five other river cities – Covington, Newport, Dayton, Ludlow and Bellevue in the Read Ready effort.