Atchison library, Terry Family team up to boost early literacy

The Terry Family and Consumer Education Unit has teamed with the Atchison Public Library to focus on early literacy, building the effort around K-State Research and Extension’s 2026 theme, “Early Literacy: Building The Foundation for Lifelong Learning.” The partnership puts a familiar public space at the center of the work, giving Atchison parents and caregivers a practical way to keep children reading and learning while school is out.

The project is aimed at helping youth in Atchison build reading habits early and strengthen the foundation they will need when classes start again. By placing the library at the center, the effort gives families a low-barrier entry point to books and to the encouragement that often helps children stick with reading during the summer. The approach is hands-on rather than abstract, with the goal of making reading feel part of everyday family life instead of a school-year assignment.

That matters because the partnership is designed as a community-based response, not a formal school initiative. Community volunteers, extension-style education and the public library all play a role, which makes the effort feel local and easy to join. For parents looking for something concrete to do right now, the immediate options are straightforward: visit the library, ask for book suggestions and build a more consistent reading routine at home. In a county where small steps can ripple outward through classrooms and families, the emphasis on early literacy gives children a chance to enter the next school year better prepared to learn.