Latonya Morgan, accounting coordinator, Down East Partnership for Children, combines her love of figures with her love for children. As part of the Partnership's celebration of "Week of the Young Child," Morgan has coordinated a Scholastic Preschool Book Fair to make more books available in homes and child care centers.
"Many schools conduct book fairs for school children," Morgan said, "and our Partnership staff wanted to provide a book fair experience for preschoolers. We see the book fair as another way to develop young children's love for reading."
Contributed photo |
Latonya Morgan, left, accounting coordinator for the Down East Partnership for Children, greets visitors at the Preschool Book Fair conducted during the Partnership's Week of the Young Child activities. Liz Broomell and her son, Tyler, share the excitement of discovering new books. DEPC offers a variety of learning resources for all children and families in Nash and Edgecombe counties.
|
Morgan shares the excitement that comes with visiting a large exhibit of colorful, attractive books. "I like to watch the children as they find their favorite books or discover new ones. Even the very little children have a great time shopping for books, selecting books and paying for their books. It's a great learning experience for our preschoolers."
Years ago, while a student in the early childhood education program at Nash Community College, Morgan promoted reading for young children by conducting preschool book fairs at the college. At that time, she was a home child care provider. A graduate of Shaw University with a B.S. Degree in Business Management, Morgan now promotes the book fair experience as an integral part of the Partnership's mission and goals. "This activity supports our work to help children prepare for success in school," she said.
The Book Fair is not about making money, Morgan pointed out.
"We don't make a cash profit on this event," she said. "We make a book profit. In other words, we receive payment in books instead of cash.
"The books that we earn through our sales are then presented by our staff to parents and child care providers during workshops, child development activities or special recognition events that we host throughout the year. The books we earn, as well as the books we sell, will be making their way into many area homes and child care centers."
The Book Fair complements other reading activities at the Partnership, Morgan said. "One of our April workshops is a family literacy event that brings parents and children together to build a book. They start with a blank book and finish with a book that's all about getting ready for school. This activity is developmentally appropriate for children age four or five, and it helps parents prepare their children for kindergarten."
Morgan cites Read and Grow Story Services (RAGSS), coordinated by Braswell Memorial Library, as another Partnership tool for promoting books for preschoolers.
"Every Friday morning, we have a story telling session for children who visit with us from home child care centers," she said. "This program helps preschoolers enrich their language skills and motivates them to read."
The Partnership's Parent Information Center, located on the second floor, also offers a variety of reading materials for families and child care providers.
"We offer a variety of programs to encourage reading," said Morgan. "All of these programs are an important part of our emphasis on ready children, ready families, ready schools and ready communities."
