AJ TaylorFebruary 13, 2021Last Updated: February 28, 2021 Read Across Iowa will launch March 1 and begin a month-long celebration to bring the joys of reading to area kids of all ages. Agriculturally themed Read Across Iowa events will be held across the state and will feature books and materials about agriculture that will appeal to all readers. “Starting at birth, reading to children is an investment with a life-long return,” said Constance Beecher, an associate professor of education and extension specialist at Iowa State University. “Early reading and talking with children is essential to a strong start in life.” Research shows that one of the strongest predictors of school success is reading to children and having books in the home, Beecher said. Children who read and listen to books hear a greater variety of words – up to 50% more – leading to a better vocabulary than those who watch media. Children raised in homes with more than 500 books spent three years longer in school than children whose parents had only a few books, but even homes with 25 books have been associated with completing two more years of school than having no books in the home.