By WARREN DILLAWAY - Staff Writer
ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — Wilbur the pig, and other Charlotte’s Web characters, came alive Saturday afternoon as children smiled and giggled during a puppet show at Ashtabula Towne Square.
The puppet show was produced by the Kingsville Public Library during a literacy day program sponsored by the Ashtabula County Literacy Coalition, said Becky Wayman, program coordinator/recruiter for Adult Basic and Literacy Education throughout Ashtabula County.
The puppet show was a new addition to the annual program that attempts to encourage children and adults to read, Wayman said.
Dozens of free books were given to the children after they watched the puppet show or listened to one of three guest readers from area libraries, Wayman said. “Each child will receive a free book by the literacy coalition,” she said.
After one of the puppet shows the hand puppets circulated through the crowd greeting children.
Parents also had the opportunity to learn about ways to encourage their children to read. The literacy coalition organized work shops to help parents learn to help their children.
“They (parents) need to read to their kids 15 to 20 minutes (a day),” said Barb Taft, youth services director for the Ashtabula County District Library. She said it is important for children of all ages to continue to read or be challenged so they can improve their cognitive capabilities.
Wayman said ABLE also seeks to help adults to overcome their fears and learn to read. “There are a lot of people in Ashtabula County who can’t read,” she said.
Wayman said it is important to let people know that is okay, but there is help for them to learn to read and perhaps move on to get a high school equivalency degree.
“I would say I’ve had four calls in the last three months,” Wayman said of people calling for themselves, or friends, about how to get help in learning to read.
“I have an 80-year-old woman in my class,” Wayman said of a lady who is working to get her GED.
Wayman said the organization also is looking for volunteers to help at special events or work one on one with people learning how to read.
The Ashtabula County Literacy Coalition includes a variety of organizations, libraries and businesses, Wayman said.
