EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Springfield Elementary School was the venue for an early literacy event hosted by the City of Springfield on Tuesday, aiming to boost literacy among young children.

The gathering was a collaborative effort involving the Mayor’s Reading Club, Ferst Readers, Effingham County Schools, and several local authorities, all dedicated to supporting children from birth to age five in their reading journey.

Mayor-elect Ricky Eilerman highlighted the importance of these partnerships by stating, “Collaborating with like-minded partners enables us to broaden book access and reinforce the early reading success pathways for both children and their families.”

This event is part of a statewide initiative involving various Georgia cities and Ferst Readers. The focus is on addressing early childhood literacy gaps by implementing community-backed strategies aimed at establishing solid literacy foundations before children enter kindergarten.

Springfield city manager Lauren Argle explained the event’s purpose: “This is a Ferst Readers initiative designed to engage kids in reading from an early age, excite them about literacy, and demonstrate that adults around them are just as involved and enthusiastic about reading.”

Ferst Readers provides books and parent engagement tools for children from birth to five. Its president and CEO, Davida Morgan-Washington, said daily reading, even 15 minutes, can improve academic scores and build vocabulary.

Dayle Burns, who spearheaded the Effingham Literacy Council, said parents often underestimate how critical early literacy is.

“I just think that in many ways, parents don’t even realize how important these early literacy skills are,” Burns said. “Up to age three is a tremendous amount of brain development. And if you miss that period, that window, you can’t catch that up later. It’s not something you can fix.”

Dr. Yancy Ford, superintendent of Effingham County Schools, said partnerships like this ensure the youngest learners have support long before entering the classroom.

Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said initiatives like this help not only education but workforce development.

“We’re focused on that, and that will be probably our number one priority in the session this year in a 2026 session,” Jon Burns said. “We’ve been focused all summer, as we were last year, making significant investments into teaching these young people to read, ensuring they have all the tools they need at their disposal to learn to read.”