MEDIA RELEASE
Liz Kinast
Family Reading Partnership
54 Gunderman Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
607.277.8602
Fax: 607.277.7075
liz@familyreading.org
September 25, 2014
Rocket the Dog welcomes kindergartners to school! Family Reading Partnership’s Welcome to School Book program creates a shared book experience for kindergartners across Tompkins County.
This month, over 700 children in Tompkins County started kindergarten and they all have one thing in common: “How Rocket Learned to Read” by Tad Hills in their home library. As a special treat, Rocket the Dog is joining principals as they read the book aloud in kindergarten classrooms in the Ithaca City School District. Kindergartners are so excited to know the story and proud to have the book at home!
For 17 years, thanks to continuous sponsorship from M&T Bank, the Welcome to School Book program has helped connect incoming kindergartners to their school and each other. This shared book experience helps ease the transition to school and build a classroom community.
At kindergarten registration, every kindergartner in Tompkins County receives the book “How Rocket Learned to Read” by Tad Hills as a gift from their new school. Along with the book, families receive a personalized message about the importance of reading aloud and information about making books a part of everyday family fun to help their kindergartner get ready for school.