HELENA – Hundreds of children and their families filled the state Capitol in Helena on Thursday for "Reading At The Rotunda."
Now in its 11th year, the event has hopes to get preschool aged kids interested and involved with reading while also having a resource fair that helps parents and caregivers help care for the children.
Among the participants were like Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins, Sheriff Leo Dutton, and Lt. Governor Mike Cooney sat down with the kids and read popular children’s books to them.
Brandi Thomas of the Early Childhood Collation of the Greater Helena Area says that it’s important to raise awareness of early childhood and how impactful those early years truly are.
“We always want to promote anything we can to help families, help childcare providers, help everyone we can with literacy and any other needs they may have,” says Thomas.
Trina Filan of the United Way of the Lewis & Clark Area and the Early Childhood Collation echoed the sentiment and says that children of all ages can always benefit from reading as a family.
“Even the littlest kid, even a baby needs to hear a lot of words to engage with their parents in ways that build their brains,” Filan said.
Reading At The Rotunda is held in association with The Week of the Young Child celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers and families.
The Week of the Young Child will run from April 16th to April 20th this year and there are several events planned in the area. Next week schools in the area are hosting read-aloud story times and a preschool parade will be held Saturday, April 21st from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Early Childhood Collation of the Greater Helena Area will also be giving away 2,000 bags of books, games and coupons to kids and their families over the course of The Week of the Young Child.
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