The Importance of Providing Access to Books

The Importance of Providing Access to Books

N EW YOR K C I T Y

The Importance of Providing Access to Books

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The Home Library Effect: Transforming At-Risk Readers By Justin Minkel

Melinda started 2nd grade with everything against her. She lives in poverty, her mom is not literate in English or Spanish, and she was severely abused at the age of 6. At the beginning of the year, she owned only one book. Despite these barriers, Melinda made extraordinary academic progress. She moved from a kindergarten level (a four on the Developmental Reading Assessment) to a 4th grade level (a 40) in the two years she was in my class. Her demeanor changed: she began smiling and laughing more often, and she became a confident scholar. Part of the reason for Melinda’s growth is elusive— that combination of resiliency, strength, and utter grit that awes those of us lucky enough to teach these remarkable children. But another reason for her success is simple—instead of one book at home, Melinda now has a home library of 40 books. We called our classroom adventure “The 1,000 Books Project.” Each of the 25 children in my class received 40 books over the course of 2nd and 3rd grade, for a total of 1,000 new books in their homes.

The project was simple to launch. Scholastic provided 40 books per child, which we purchased through a combination of my own funds, support from individuals and local organizations, and bonus points. The kids received three types of books each month: copies of class read-alouds, guided reading books, and individual choices selected from Scholastic’s website. Working with family members, each child chose a space to become a home library, ranging from a cardboard box decorated with stickers to a wooden bookcase. Through class discussions and our class blog, the students talked about everything from how they organized their libraries to their favorite reading buddy at home. The total cost for each student’s home library was a small investment to move a struggling reader from frustration to confidence.

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Research

References

Approximately 80 books in an adolescent student’s home library raises literacy levels to average. (Sikora, Evans, and Kelley 2019) Growing up with more books in the home has been shown to elevate students’ educational attainment across 27 countries, including the United States. (Evans et al. 2010)

Allington, R. et al. (2010). Addressing summer reading setback among economically disadvantaged elementary students. Reading Psychology , Vol. 31(5). Evans, M. D., et al. (2010). Family scholarly culture and educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility , Vol. 28(2), 171-197. Kim, J. S., and Guryan, J. (2010). The efficacy of a voluntary summer book reading intervention for low-income Latino children from language minority families. Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 102(1), 20. Mol, S. E., and Bus, A. G. (2011). To read or not to read: A meta-analysis of print exposure from infancy to early adulthood. Psychological Bulletin , Vol. 137(2), 267. Sikora, J., Evans, M. D. R., and Kelley, J. (2019). Scholarly culture: How books in adolescence enhance adult literacy, numeracy and technology skills in 31 societies. Social Science Research , Vol. 77, 1-15. Worthy, J., and Roser, N. (2010). Productive sustained reading in a bilingual class. Revisiting Silent Reading: New Directions for Teachers and Researchers . Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 241-257.

 As few as 20 books in the home helps students achieve higher levels of education.

A home library is as important as parental education and family income in predicting educational outcomes.

High-quality books outside of school is critical for striving readers and related to all children’s emergent reading skills. (Mol and Bus 2011) Building home libraries benefits minority students. Kim and Guryan (2010) argue that many “low- income Latino children from language minority families may fall behind in reading during summer vacation because of their limited access to books at home and limited opportunities to practice English with family members.” Studies have shown that access to print resources—board books, stories, and informational books—early on in a child’s development has both an immediate and long-term effect on their vocabulary, background knowledge, and comprehension skills. (Allington et al. 2010) Thirty minutes of independent reading a day positively transforms students’ attitudes toward reading. (Worthy and Roser 2010)

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Grades K–5

ENHANCE IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT WITH SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING The Rising Voices Library provides students with high-interest, culturally relevant texts that give context to what they’re experiencing in the world around them. These materials build a rich classroom community, enabling deep discussions about social justice and identity development while giving students the tools to grow as leaders and thinkers.

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The 7 STRENGTHS Libraries

Grades K–7

HELP STUDENTS BECOME STRONGER INDEPENDENT READERS The 7 Strengths Libraries foster independence by offering a range of literature that students can connect with both emotionally and intellectually. Each authentic trade title was carefully selected to engage students through the lens of the Seven Strengths. Available in both English and Spanish , these social-emotional learning libraries provide students with high- interest authentic texts written in rich language that inspire students to become engaged and reflective independent readers.

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Grades PreK–12

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE COLLECTIONS In our increasingly diverse nation and interconnected world, students need a deep understanding and respect for the many cultures and heritages that enrich our lives. Each of these collections offers a positive representation of the cultures it features, and many of the authors are cultural insiders. These collections include, but are not limited to, books about family, friends, and cultures of Hispanic and Latino heritage.

Titles selected for these collections: check Accurately represent the characters’ cultural heritages check Portray characters as problem-solvers check Reflect positive values, strengths, and ideals

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Grades K–12

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT READING WITH EQUITABLE ACCESS TO BOOKS Our grade-specific Grab and Go book packs increase student engagement and improve literacy skills, regardless of access to technology. All students will have the shared experience of reading together with a set of diverse and intriguing stories paired with activities, tips, and support to ensure development outside of the classroom. Each pack is curated to address a critical theme related to student success. Schools and districts can help students excel by distributing one or more of our theme packs to support independent reading.

check  Theme 1 | Favorite Books to Ensure Engagement

check  Theme 3 | Diverse and Powerful Stories Representation matters. These packs allow children to see themselves reflected in the books they read, encouraging individuality and supporting ongoing conversations about social justice. check  Theme 4 | Foundational Skills Each of these book packs ensure that children

Diverse and compelling stories increase student engagement and support independent reading. Available in English and Spanish! check  Theme 2 | Social-Emotional Development, Support, and Learning These titles ensure that children feel emotionally supported with a range of interactive and relatable stories. Available in English and Spanish!

read texts which actively support reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

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