Cannon To Celebrate Read Across America Tuesday



NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Education Association (TEA), Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation and Tennessee Department of Education Office of Early Learning have come together to celebrate Pre-K in Tennessee and the National Education Association’s 14th annual Read Across America Day on March 2, 2010.

“Reading to children from the start is one of the best things we can do to prepare them for success in the classroom,” said Governor Phil Bredesen. “I’m pleased to see the work of these partner organizations in focusing Tennesseans on the importance of early childhood education and motivating children to read.”

Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries and community centers are bringing together kids, teens and books through events, partnerships and reading resources. Read Across Tennessee will be celebrated in Cannon County on March 2, 2010 at the Adams Memorial Library. Pre-K children and their families will be treated to a special presentation of the events focus book “The Little Engine That Could.” Our guest reader will be Ms. Laurie Burger. Children will have the opportunity to make a craft and sing songs related to our railroad theme.

TEA President Earl Wiman said, “A quality Pre-K program implemented across the state will do more to improve student achievement as well as reading comprehension than any of the tests that we give to students in Tennessee ever could.”

The TEA is the state’s largest professional organization representing more than 55,000 elementary and secondary teachers, school administrators, education support professionals, higher education faculty, and students preparing to become teachers. TEA actively advocates learning without limits and its work centers around educating our students, engaging our parents, empowering our schools.

The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation manages the ongoing, statewide implementation of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, assisting all Tennessee preschool children in developing their vocabulary, school readiness, and love of learning and reading by ensuring that free, high quality, age-appropriate books are mailed once a month directly to their homes, from birth until age five.

The Tennessee Department of Education Office of Early Learning was established to administer the Voluntary Pre-K program. Governor Bredesen proposed and the Tennessee General Assembly approved with strong bipartisan support the Voluntary Pre-K for Tennessee Act of 2005 to increase the state's investment in Early Childhood Education and expand access for students.

For more information about Tennessee’s Pre-K Celebration or Read Across America, visit http://www.teateachers.org/cms/TEA%27s+2010+Pre-K+Celebration/1382.html.