Merari Jaime grew up in a low-income household with an abusive home environment. Education was her way out. Through hard work and focus, she earned a full-ride scholarship to college.
“I know it all started with learning to read,” Jaime says. “I still remember my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Tucker. She made reading so fun and joyful.”
When Jaime became a mother, she knew she wanted a different start for her own daughter, but she wasn’t sure what that looked like. In 2020, isolated during the pandemic and newly diagnosed with postpartum depression, she searched for support for both herself and her very social 3-year-old. Connecting with Make Way for Books and Birth to Five Literacy Journey (formerly Story School) at a resource fair changed their lives forever.
The Birth to Five Literacy Journey Experience
Through twice-weekly sessions, Birth to Five Literacy Journey (formerly Story School) provides opportunities for writing and drawing, music and movement, and read-alouds. The program offers strategies for literacy and language development and helps parents learn different ways to engage with books.
“The program taught me about literacy, but the more important piece was learning how to interact with my child — that I could have fun, that I could be silly with her,” Jaime says. “The warm and welcoming environment they created every single time had a big impact on my life. It’s so much more than a literacy program.”
Because of the growth she saw in her daughter, Melody, and the confidence she gained personally, the pair attended multiple times.
“I saw a huge shift in my daughter,” Jaime says. “She was happier. She was more excited to read and wanted me to read to her more. We started going to the library.”
Jaime wasn’t previously comfortable going to the library because she didn’t know the songs and routines of story time. Story School gave her the confidence to go.
“It was a huge life transformation,” she says. It even saved her life.
“I struggled with my depression, and the doors that Make Way for Books opened, their warmth and the empowerment I felt — it kept me alive,” she says.
Full-Circle Healing
Soon to be 9 years old, Melody is an advanced reader and recently tested into her school’s gifted program. She’s excelling academically and participating in multiple extracurricular activities.
“I don’t think any of that would’ve been possible had I not stepped foot into that classroom and been exposed to what I wanted her future to look like,” Jaime says.
And Jaime, whose degree is in biomedical science, decided to become a Birth to Five Literacy Specialist with Make Way for Books.
“It’s a full-circle healing experience to see these families with their little ones and to now be the person inspiring hope and change,” she says. “I see myself reflected in every one of those children and their parents.”
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