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Public Information and Communication

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 24, 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sally Snyder
402-471-4003
800-307-2665

See to Reader Now Available to Nebraska Public Libraries

One out of five children entering kindergarten in Nebraska has an undetected vision problem. This "unseen" health issue may greatly influence the outcome of a child's academic and social behavior as they struggle to keep pace with other students. Parents and educators need to be aware of this potential link to poor reading performance and other developmental skill lags in children.

Libraries across Nebraska offer summer programs for children of all ages to encourage their continued exposure to books and reading. The See to Read project brings awareness to the vital link between vision and reading. Libraries can help parents learn more about this link when they bring their children into the library this summer. For those parents with younger children, they may then be motivated to take advantage of the free See to Learn vision assessments for 3-year-olds; and will take their child to an eye care professional for a school vision exam before entering school for the first time.

Complimentary copies of the See to Reader are available at Nebraska public libraries. Included in the Reader are:

  • warning signs of vision problems,
  • booklist for children relating to vision,
  • first aid for eye emergencies,
  • puzzles,
  • ideas for developing a child into a strong reader,
  • information for receiving a FREE professional vision assessment for any three-year old in the state, and
  • reminders for parents with children entering kindergarten regarding vision evaluations now required by Nebraska law.

This information can also be found by visiting www.NEchildrensvision.org , under See to Read. Please take time to visit your local library this summer to experience the worlds awaiting there for young readers and to find out how you can learn more about the role that healthy eyes play in this discovery.

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The Nebraska Foundation for Children's Vision, a 501c3 charitable organization, has the mission of making sure that every child in Nebraska is visually prepared to succeed in school and life.

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As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information. The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission home page, nlc.nebraska.gov, search on News Releases.


For more information, contact Tessa Terry.