Today, February 14th, is now officially Colorado Read to Your Child Day!
The Reach Out and Read Colorado team was honored to join members of the General Assembly this morning at the Colorado State Capitol to declare the state’s commitment to birth-to-age-five early literacy by acknowledging February 14, 2025, as “Colorado Read to Your Child Day” in alignment with “National Read to Your Child Day,” alongside Imagination Library of Colorado.
Thank you to Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, Sen. Jeff Bridges, Representative Emily Sirota and Representative Rick Taggart for sponsoring the Resolution and to Kyle Mullica for Senate District 24 and Senator Byron Pelton for sharing your stories around the importance of literacy today!
You can read the full resolution below:
PROCLAIMING FEBRUARY 14 AS “COLORADO READ TO YOUR CHILD DAY”
WHEREAS, The most important activity for setting the foundation for future literacy success is reading aloud to children; and
WHEREAS, Strong literacy skills are essential for the development and growth of a community and our nation, and the ability to read by third grade is critical to a child’s ability to learn in the future; and
WHEREAS, Children who struggle with literacy are more likely to eventually drop out of school without earning their high school diploma, have poor health, and struggle to acquire a living wage as an adult; and
WHEREAS, A child’s early years play a pivotal role in literacy, as 90% of a child’s brain has developed by age five, and skills learned between birth and age five predict literacy in later years; and
WHEREAS, Children who struggle with literacy in kindergarten
through third grade are unlikely to catch up to their peers; and
WHEREAS, When children are read to aloud from birth, they are exposed to significantly more words in their early years, improving their vocabulary, comprehension and literacy skills, and increasing overall brain development; and
WHEREAS, Children who experience this early exposure to books and have access to home libraries develop stronger language skills by the time they start school and are more likely to develop a lasting interest in reading and learning; and
WHEREAS, When caregivers or loved ones read to children regularly, they build nurturing bonds that are vital for the child’s cognitive and social-emotional health. Reading together provides positive attention from caring adults and creates a sense of security, while reducing stress and the negative impacts of adverse childhood experiences; and
WHEREAS, More than 30 years of research demonstrates that reading aloud to a child accelerates development and boosts overall kindergarten readiness. Evidence also indicates that when children enter school with the developmental skills and foundation to succeed, the results of this early intervention last a lifetime; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
That we, the members of the General Assembly, declare the state’s commitment to birth-to-age-five early literacy by acknowledging February 14, 2025, as “Colorado Read to Your Child Day” in alignment with “National Read to Your Child Day”.
Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to the Reach Out and Read Colorado and Imagination Library of Colorado organizations.
