Humanities Nebraska Prime Time Reading Program Helps Kids Improve in School

Prime Time is a Humanities Nebraska (www.HumanitiesNebraska.org) family literacy program that helps strengthen participants’ interest and skills in reading and talking about books. Prime Time Family Reading Time and Prime Time Preschool returned this fall to eight locations in the Omaha area. Each session of the six-week program was free and open to families and their children, ages six to 10, who struggle with reading, or for families with preschool children who need a head start in reading readiness before kindergarten. All sessions were offered without cost to families thanks to generous statewide sponsors including the State of Nebraska, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, Carol Gendler, and an anonymous donor.

A definitive 10-year analysis published by the creators of Prime Time Family Reading Time found that children who attend Prime Time show a 95-100% improvement on achievement tests in elementary school and 81% improvement on high school exit exams. Prime Time Preschool was developed in response to the growing awareness of the importance of early learning. The program shares strategies that encourage meaningful at-home reading behavior between parents/caregivers and their young children.

Since 2002, approximately 14,000 Nebraskans have participated in one or more of the 257 bilingual and English-only Prime Time Family Reading Time and Prime Time Preschool series held in 17 public libraries, 18 elementary schools, six community centers, one bookstore, and one Head Start in 18 communities throughout the state.

For more information about Prime Time, visit the Humanities Nebraska website, www.HumanitiesNebraska.org, and select “Prime Time” from the programs list.