M-W joins Scholastic’s ‘Family and Community Engagement’ literacy program

CENTRAL VALLEY — The Monroe-Woodbury School District is participating in Scholastic Book’s Family and Community Engagement (FACE) program, designed to promote literacy beyond the classroom setting.

In return for being able “to access quality children’s books at drastically reduced prices and pay no shipping,” the district has made a commitment to distribute books to students for their personal use at no charge, according to a district statement.

“Exposure to literature and family involvement are essential in promoting school readiness and early literacy,” the statement said. “By encouraging parents to read aloud….we become partners with parents in fostering literacy.”

The district will distribute approximately 5,700 books through FACE, according to Elsie Rodriquez, assistant superintendent for curriculum and Instruction.

“We hope that the kids will swap books so they can read even more,” she said.

The book distribution is geared to two groups.

“In our efforts to improve the home/school literacy connection, we are providing each K-1 child with three books to take home through the FACE,” wrote Colleen Sullivan, the district’s director of instructional support services, in an e-mail to The Photo News. “The total number of books for K-1 is about 3,000. The rest of the books are being distributed to our students who are participating in our before/after school programs in preparation for the New York State ELA assessment in grades three to five.”

The district’s statement added that “increased access to books outside of the school day is likely to increase student engagement in reading.”

- Nancy Kriz