Thank you to the following funders for their support:

• Support for this project was provided through the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation
• Judd S. Alexander Foundation
• Dudley Foundation
• United Way of Marathon County
• Kiwanis Club of Greater Wausau
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
• UW Extension - Homemakers Club

Ready to Read

Ready to Read is a partnership managed by United Way of Marathon County.  The partnership’s shared goal is to increase reading to and with babies and young children.

Here’s how it works:

Grants enable United Way to purchase age-appropriate books at discount prices for children age birth to five. Books are then provided free to agency partners that are already serving families with young children, with an emphasis on agencies serving low income families.

During visits to programs, such as immunization clinic, families receive a free, age-appropriate book and even more importantly, they receive information about the benefits of reading to their baby or young child.

All administrative costs are provided in-kind by partner agencies. Ready to Read is a cost-effective program managed by United Way.

Reading to your child is magic

Share the magic of reading with a young child today and every day. Check out these parent tips to make the make reading a magical experience for both you and your child. 

• General age appropriate literacy tips for parents were assembled by the Ready to Read steering committee.
• Jodi Smith, Title One Reading Teacher at Edgar Elementary, offers general suggestions for things we can do in our own homes to help children make the connection between reading and language.

You can also read success stories to see the magic of books and the children who receive them.

bornlearning™

bornlearning™ is a new initiative between United Way of America, CIVITAS, United Way of Marathon County and the Ad Council.

This national initiative addresses United Way of Marathon County’s priority area of Improving the Home Environment for Children, by helping parents understand the importance of reading to their infants and preschoolers.

For more information or materials, visit the bornlearning™ web site at www.bornlearning.org.