The “Plant the Seed to Read-Read Aloud Every Day” early literacy campaign kicked off on Sept. 4, which included a tour of the program’s literacy site partners with Sen. Bill Cook, who is acting as the literacy campaign spokesperson.

Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children sponsored the campaign, and it focuses on the importance of reading aloud to children to help develop their literacy skills.

According to the press release, “‘Plant the Seed to Read’ is a movement to positively impact and permanently change the level of school readiness for local children so they are better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.”

Research has shown that children of low-income families have less exposure to words than children of more wealthy families, and Child Care Services estimates that 41 percent of children ages 5 or younger in Beaufort County live below the federal poverty level, the release stated.

To combat this, Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children has sponsored a variety of reading programs in the county, including the Reach Out and Read program, Read and Return book boxes, book drives, read-aloud programs and literacy skill-building classes.

Last month the Partnership expanded its Reach Out and Read program by adding two more reading areas at two Belhaven health clinics. The reading areas have age-appropriate books for children to read while waiting, and healthcare employees at the clinics will also give families a new or gently used book to take home with them for free.

Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Don Phipps said early literacy efforts make a difference for a student when he or she enters into the school system.

“There’s a focus on early literacy, and the level of what is considered proficient went up,” he said.

Phipps said focusing on a good literacy foundation for younger students pays off in the long run and can possibly lead to better test scores.

“It just gives them a tremendous advantage,” he said. “It makes them certainly more school-ready.”