Building a Reading from the Start
Parents as teachers is a wonderful program. This program is free for families in the Jackson R2 School District. Parents as Teachers (PAT) is an early childhood parent education and family support program designed to help all parents give their children the best possible start in life. Click this link to be able to access the PAT application.
If you are interested please call the Early Childhood office at 573-243-5347.
See To Learn was developed by the Eye Care Council as a preventive program to help make sure every child’s early education is unaffected by vision problems. Through See To Learn, parents can schedule a FREE vision assessment for their 3-year-old child in a participating optometrist's office.
Here are the local optometrists currently participating in the program:
Brost & Associates Family Eye Care, PC
573-334-8595
352 South Broadview
Cape Girardeau MO 63703
Leet Eyecare
573-334-2020
3230 Blattner Dr.
Cape Girardeau MO 63703
Sign up today!
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland.
Jackson residents can sign up for this program and it is completely free. I highly recommend Imagination Library. Your child receives their own "mail" every month and helps to inspire reading from an early age. Here is a list of the books your child/children will receive this year. Each year the program focuses on specific themes based on the age of the child.
We are lucky enough to have both of our local hospitals participating in the Reach Out & Read Program. Children ages 0-5 will receive a free book at their wellness visits. Our local hospitals are working with families to encourage reading before Kindergarten.
You can get your free library card from one of the two local libraries. This summer changes were made to allow residents of Jackson to be able to use the Cape Girardeau Public Library. Both libraries have story times and activities for your child. Their summer program schedule will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for these free events.
1997 E. Jackson Blvd
Jackson, MO 63755
(573) 243-8141
711 N. Clark St.
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
(573) 334-5279
Riverside Regional Library has the 1,000 books before Kindergarten challenge. Click this link to sign up on their page. You will use Beanstalk to track your progress. When completed let the librarians know.
There are also summer reading challenges for kids. They earn a free book and their names are put in a drawing for bigger prizes.
The Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award is awarded by the Children's Services Round Table of the Missouri Library Association. This award is designed to encourage reading aloud to children from birth through kindergarten age.
You can find these books at the Riverside Regional Library and the Cape Public Library.
Click here for the 2025 list.