By Staff
Melissa Cason
The Russellville Head Start Program is celebrating "The week of the young child" this week by hosting guest readers.
Russellville Head Start program director Sheila Pierce said the center would have a guest reader at the center every day this week in celebration of the program and the event is designed to bring the community together with the children.
"We want to gain more community involvement in our program so this is the focus of our week," Pierce said.
Community leaders such as Police Chief Chris Hargett and Northwest-Shoals Community College professor Diane Pace have read to the children so far.
She added that the week of the young child is an event sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The week encourages early literacy and the importance of beginning children's education early.
Pierce said that developing good reading skills is crucial to children's success in school and that kids who enter school with a larger vocabulary start school ahead of children who have not been exposed to enriching language environments.
"We want to use this week to promote Head Start and encourage parents of small children to apply for our program," Pierce said.
In addition to having guests and promoting early education in the classroom, the Head Start will set up a booth at a local retailer to promote the Head Start program this week.
"We will be at Wal-Mart on Friday giving out information on the week of the young child and helping parents learn about the benefits of Head Start," Pierce said.