Poor reading skills impact comprehension, self esteem, vocabulary, etc. and ultimately result in failure to achieve educational goals and one's ability to prosper in a modern society. Having access to age-appropriate books in early childhood can make a difference in how soon a child learns to read and begins developing intellectually and in terms of their self-confidence. I recently read an editorial written by a local educator, Andrea Brown, that makes the point more poignantly:
"I grew up in Missouri City and, for the most part, attended suburban public schools. For as long as I can remember, I really enjoyed school. I was excited about the chance to read books and periodicals from our library. I don’t recall a time that I ever had to worry about whether or not I’d have access to a novel or a textbook. In fact, it never even crossed my mind that the school wouldn’t be able to provide one for me. ... It was a privilege I took advantage of, one that helped me get ahead of my peers when I left home to go to college...
I naively assumed that this would be true for kids in public schools everywhere.
Then I became an educator myself and took my talents to a school in a traditionally poor part of town. Funding was in short supply. The shelves in the library were bare. Textbooks were almost a decade old and in disrepair. I was in shock. The students, however, were not. Even though I worked with ninth-graders, they were already used to not having a lot. It affected their mindset and attitude toward achievement. Graduation and college weren’t at the forefront of their minds. In fact, they were comfortable with just passing, even when they had the opportunity to do so much better. They didn’t expect better because they never knew any better.
Many nights, I cried at the lack of expectation — for the kids from the world around them and the kids’ own expectations for themselves." Houston Chronicle, 02/07/2020
I don't know if Andrea knows about Books Between Kids (BBK), a non-profit co-founded by Amy Barnes, a St. John's parishioner, but if she did I think she'd appreciate the objectives and outcomes served by this organization. Books Between Kids was born out of a passionate concern for children in Houston who were growing up without ready access to books and the horizons those books could open up for them. To quote Amy Barnes, "As someone who has always loved to read and has made reading and book ownership a priority for my own children, the idea that tens of thousands of children right here in Houston were growing up without a single book to call their own was deeply upsetting to me. And, I felt, it was something that could be changed. So, I joined forces with another Houston mom, Sandra Ahlhorn, and we went to work!”
A few relevant facts about BBK can be found here: https://www.booksbetweenkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/BBK-Fact-Sheet-Oct17.pdf
More importantly, what do kids receiving books through BBK have to say:
"Thank you for all the kindness because I always needed a book to read at home. I chose these six book because I know that I am going to get more information I didn’t know about science and social studies. I enjoy my own books so much because I never owned a book." -5th grader
"My favorite book that you gave me was White Fang. I like it so much I read it over and over. Before you gave me the books, I did not have any books. I appreciate what you did for us. I really love the books so much and I want to read the books you gave us for the whole summer until my break finishes." - 5th grader Luigi "Thank you for donating these amazing and fun books. It was really nice of you guys to give them to us. Really, really, thank you. There is so much to learn and I can have fun at the same time!" - 3rd grader
If you'd like to volunteer as a group, a family or as an individual to help sort books, or to donate financial resources or books go to: https://www.booksbetweenkids.org/contact. Don't wait, click that link and join in the work now!
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