Ohio State Marion's Early Childhood Education Center To Open Earlier The Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) at The Ohio State University at Marion, located in the northwest corner of the Marion Campus, 1339 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Marion, is pleased to announce new hours for enrolling infants, toddlers, and pre-school children into their program of educational care. The Center is now open for children currently enrolled and new enrollees at 6:30 a.m. The Center previously opened its door for care at 7:30 a.m. According Leslie Beyer-Hermsen, Director of ECEC for Ohio State Marion, the new hours are needed to help accommodate the busy and changing schedules of parents. The hope is the changed hours will allow for greater flexibility for current parents with children enrolled in the program, and also open the program to parents who may have been unable to utilize its services in the past. The Center provides nurturing and educational care for children ages two-months through five-years of age. ECEC is open 52 weeks a year, Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except on observed holidays and specified days when university offices are closed. For more information on enrollment to ECEC call 740-389-OSUM (6786), extension 6304. Ohio State Marion¹s Early Childhood Education Center serves as a site for training students in the Pre-K Associate and Master of Education degree programs and as an observation site for other college and university classes. ECEC is full service childcare licensed by the Ohio Department of Human Services. Back to Top Grow With Books Develops Love For Reading What began as a literacy initiative to promote reading to infants and toddlers has evolved into coos, smiles, and what Brian and Chris Mattix see as a lifelong love of reading for their infant son Riley. Riley Mattix was the first child to take part in the Marion area literacy program, "Grow With Books." The program began January 9, 2001 as literacy initiative that provides children's books to new parents through Marion General Hospital's Center for New Beginnings.  Funded through an initial two year grant by Verizon to promote their lifelong learning and literacy objectives, and implemented by The Ohio State University at Marion, in conjunction with the Marion General Hospital, "Grow With Books" has provided over 1,600 children's books, literacy information, and counseling to thousands of parents throughout north central Ohio. The initial grant was to carry the program through 2002, but according to Linda Todd, of Ohio State Marion, sound management of the funds will allow the program to continue distributing books through 2003. Stretching the funds an additional year, explained Todd, helps prepare another group of newborns to face the world of learning ahead. "The main idea behind the grant was to encourage parents to read to their children early," said Todd. "Research indicates the more experience children have with books the more ready they are to learn to read. " In the case of young Riley, who has been part of the program since its inception, the results speak for themselves, explained Riley's mother, Chris Mattix. "He climbs, grabs the books, and makes us read to him," she said. "He loves pop-up books."  The books provided to Riley and his parents began with Brown Bear, What Do You See.  Brown Bear and many of the other books in the program have a similar theme and feel, according to Mattix. The books are better quality board books with colorful pictures, she explained. Even though the books were sturdy, the couple had to get a replacement copy of the Brown Bear book. "On our vacation to Wisconsin, when Riley was 8-months-old, we read it to him hundreds of times. He would have gone crazy without that book," said Brian Mattix, Riley's father. According to Mattix, reading to Riley will help prepare him for the road of learning that lies ahead. "If you can read they're that much more ahead of the game. Learning comes at them so quickly." "I'm amazed at his interest. When we got the books I thought this is was a waste of time, but it has set a routine before bed. He brings us the books." "If it wasn't for them starting this program I don't think we would have done it. They came in and talked to us about the importance of reading," said Riley's father. Riley's mother, Chris, echoes those sentiments. "I think it's a huge benefit he has taken an interest in reading. He'll be more ready for pre-school," she said. Chris is thankful to Verizon, Ohio State Marion, and Marion General Hospital for starting the program. She believes this will give her son the head start he needs. "This is a great example of what can happen when families make reading a priority," said David Bradford, Verizon's regional director-external communications. "Cultivating a love of reading in our kids takes time, but it's one of the most important things we can do to prepare them for their future." The "Grow With Books" project grew out of the Literacy Round Table, a collaboration of various education sand social service organizations in Marion that deal with literacy issues. Back to Top

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