News Content Page

Families in more than 60 communities across Louisiana will gather to share a meal, read a book, and engage in thought-provoking discussion at a Prime Time program this spring.

Prime Time, an initiative of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, brings families together twice a year at schools, libraries and other community-gathering places for its award-winning reading programs. Beginning in February, Prime Time family engagement and reading programs will take place in 25 parishes across Louisiana and represents one of the largest program cycles to date.

Prime Time Family Reading, for ages 6-10, and Prime Time Preschool Reading, for ages 3-5, bring families together one night a week for six weeks for reading and discussion. A storyteller reads an award-winning children’s book and families are then guided through discussion of the themes found in the book. The discussion encourages families to personally connect with literature and each other and think beyond shallow considerations of who, what, when, and where by using open-ended questioning to spur discussion. For Preschool Reading, hands-on activities are incorporated to keep younger children engaged.

Prime Time programs are free for families and the partner organizations throughout the state that host them. Families also get to keep the books from the sessions to help build their home libraries. Families can find a Prime Time reading program in their community on our program map.

Prime Time will also be expanding a writing component piloted last year in New Orleans to Northwest Louisiana. All About Me encourages children ages 3 to 5 to write and share about themselves — their names, likes, families, routines, and the things that make them happy. Participating families create their own books, furthering the Prime Time mission by creating a strong foundation not only for young readers but for young writers as well.

Prime Time’s spring reading programs are sponsored by Entergy, the Charles Lamar Family Foundation, the Charles T. Beaird Foundation, the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, the Shell Foundation, Baptist Community Ministries, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Citgo, the Zemurray Foundation and the State of Louisiana.