ACS Commissioner Reads for the Record
Three-year-olds at the Bank Street Head Start Program in
Manhattan comprised the mostly attentive audience when ACS Commissioner John
Mattingly joined a million adults and children around the United States on
October 8th in reading the childhood best-seller in early childhood learning centers around the country. The event was part of the "Read for the Record" campaign organized by Jumpstart to promote language, literacy, social, and initiative skills among the children. Approximately 60,000 preschool children in ACS and Department of Education programs participated in the event.
"I loved being there - the children were wonderful," said
Mattingly, who demonstrated his experience as a father of two and a former child
care center director as he simultaneously read aloud and parried comments from the children as they introduced themselves, identified and debated their favorite foods (a theme in the book) and eagerly answered questions about the caterpillar's abundant appetites. The campaign was organized by Jumpstart in 1993 to shine a spotlight on the importance of early education.
Mattingly said he was honored to participate and he
promised to come again soon to read another book. "Children's Services along with DOE is working to ensure that parents have access to quality child care throughout the City," he said. "We know that children who receive quality child care in our settings experience long-term term benefits. Programs like Jumpstart provide a welcome enhancement."
Children's Services provides early childhood education
and care for over 120,000 in child care, and Head Start settings mostly from
low-income families. Read more about Jumpstart at www.jstart.org
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