Berrien RESA is once again holding a series of reading events for young children and their families around the county.

Parent engagement and outreach coordinator Laura Robinson told us the Parents as Teachers program has been running for the last 12-plus years. She’s inviting invites families to come out to celebrate reading as part of this year’s program.

“We find that reading kind of serves as kind of the foundation of learning other things and school success,” Robinson said. “What we focus on with, say, our playgroups and our events is those pre-reading, or what we call early literacy skills, where they start hearing those sounds, hearing those words, seeing the words.”

Children up to 5 years of age and their parents will have an opportunity to hear librarians read favorite stories as part of Parents as Teachers.

“We have people from all over the community coming together to read books and they’re going to have special props or they might be even wearing like a costume, something like that, to kind of make the book more fun.”

The event is free to attend, and children will receive a book. Parents are encouraged to bring blankets.

The first Parents as Teachers reading event will be held on September 19 at Lake Bluff Park in St. Joseph from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The second will be held on Friday, September 20 at Niles Riverfront Park by the amphitheater from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.