If You Give a Child a Book...

I can remember sitting on the side of my bed reading book after book after book over and over again... as a teenager, in middle school, even in elementary school and before I could read them holding and staring at the pics I'm sure while creating an adventure in my head. Having my own mini library meant that I could pick from a range of books and, thanks to my parents and other adults around me, my collection grew year after year.

Several months ago I had a conversation with my aunt, a BPS  teacher, about how much books and readers are needed in our community. Its funny, even in my line of work, how we just assume that because we have access to something that others do to. But she reminded me that there are many children that don't own their own books or have anyone that actively reads to them or with them. I thought about how different my world would have been without both- I never went to day-care or pre-school, but I entered kindergarten with an expanded vocabulary and advanced reading skills. Both a direct result of learning to read and being read to at a young age.

Our conversation turned into an idea that follows in the vein of work that we already do here at United Way. We know that literacy is a journey that starts young and an issue that takes many hands to solve. So our United Way family set forth to not only continue to bring awareness, but make a dent in the situation.

The solution is doable- we will bring more volunteers to read to our youngest minds, and push a little further by making sure that as many of our children will own their own books. Neither of these are new concepts, they are both just proven to increase the love of reading and the literacy rate, which then increases the number of high school graduates, which then effects the rest of their lives.

Now we are asking you to take part in the solution.

Do something small- buy a book or two and donate them to the United Way Early Literacy Book Drive.

Do something a little bigger- run a book drive with a group, large or small.

Do something grande- become a United Way Early Literacy Reader and read to 0-5 year old children 1x/ wk for 1 hour.

In September when these children are receiving possibly their very first book of their own, or sitting listening to a new friend read to them I will envision them sitting on the side of their bed reading their own book. How many children will you have reading on the side of their bed?

To find out more about all of these options go to United Way Early Literacy