Why April is special for reading learners in Modesto and Stanislaus County
April holds keys to a number of literacy celebrations. It is National Poetry Month. April 12 is D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything And Read) in honor of the birthday of Beverly Cleary, the beloved author who died last month. National Library Week was the first week of the month.
My favorite is April 30: Día De Los Niños/Día De Los Libros. Children’s Book Day, Día for short, celebrates the joy of reading in our community by handing out free new children’s books to any child who comes to the library this week for the Modesto Library.
Why should everyone rather than just parents care about putting books in the hands of children? Stanislaus County’s economy thrives with educated, informed residents.
Unfortunately, our literacy rate could be a lot better. Only one third of our third-graders are reading at grade level. Kindergarten readiness varies widely as well. First 5 Stanislaus’ Strategic Plan 2019-2024 shows only half of 3-to-5-year-olds are enrolled in preschool or kindergarten.
A child’s first teacher is at home. Learning happens far earlier than kindergarten or first grade. Books are the tools for learning how sounds match the ABCs, for experiencing a wide vocabulary, even a way of bonding with the adult reader. Exposure to books can’t happen too early.
Imagination Library of Stanislaus County compared “Ready To Go” levels of reading readiness on the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile for enrolled children. Children in the program receive a new children’s book mailed to them each month until age 5.
At kindergarten entrance the children who received a book at home starting with their earliest months scored 20% to 30% higher than those who were older than 1 year when they entered the program. Books do make a difference.
Celebrating Día adds value to our community, just as the Imagination Library program does, by putting more books in the hands and homes of more children. Approximately 60% of low-income American children grow up in houses that have zero books. Without the needed tools for reading readiness, children starting school may feel more frustrated than excited.
Will they see themselves as too dumb to learn as they fall behind their classmates? A self-fulfilling prophecy, if they give up.
April reminds us of the importance of literacy to the wider community: for educational, economic, and social advantage. Celebrate children and books whenever you can. There are many ways you can make a difference:
- Take a child to any of the 13 county libraries to sign up for a library card — and for that free book during Día events.
- Adopt a school classroom.
- Donate to Imagination Library of Stanislaus County https://www.facebook.com/ImaginationLibraryStanislaus/ — $25 about covers one year of books for a child.
- Find an online book fair and send some books (free shipping) to family, neighbors, or to stock a Little Free Library in an area without convenient access to a library.
- Read to your child, your grandchild, your neighbor’s child from the earliest age.
Never too young, never too old to make any day Children’s Book Day. Not just in April.
This story was originally published April 27, 2021 at 4:00 AM.