Ready-At-Five Program will assess school readiness
By MARLO BARNHART
marlob@herald-mail.com
Preparing youngsters for success when they start school can help prevent adult illiteracy later on, a goal of the Ready-At-Five program that was launched Monday.
"We need to start early to better equip our children for school," said John Budesky, director of the Washington County Community Partnership for Children and Families.
The Ready-At-Five program is designed to provide parents with information to help them prepare their 5-year-olds for the classroom.
The effort targets approximately 200 families, who will be provided with information, reading material and age-appropriate toys, Budesky said.
"All of this will be included in a red and blue tote bag," he said. "Those 200 bags were purchased with a $700 contribution from the Hagerstown Rotary Club."
The rest of the program was made possible through Budesky's agency, which contributed $1,700.
Volunteers are carrying the message to the families they serve.