Giving children books of their own to love

Across Massachusetts, 43% of third-grade children are reading below grade-level.  In Boston, that number rises to 69%.  Faced with these statistics, a group of women came to United Way about a month ago with an idea – really, a core belief.  Every child should have a book of their own to take home and read with their families.

And so together they began gathering new books to donate to young readers.  United Way reached out to Borders Bookstore in Downtown Crossing and, with the support of the major retailer, the project swelled.  The group has collected a total of more than 2,300 books!  Today, I am excited to tag along as they deliver the first batch to children at the Ellis Memorial Child Center.  The book drop off will be celebrated with a literacy party, including reading corners, activities and face-painting, to get children excited about reading.

The University of Nevada recently released results from a 20 year study which showed that families who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain. According to the study, regardless of the level of education achieved by their parents, children who grow up with a collection of books in the home are propelled an average 3.2 years further in education.

I'll follow up with some photos tomorrow!

UPDATE: Want to know more about the women who pulled this project together?  Or join them for future projects? visit : http://women.supportunitedway.org/

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