At NewsChannel 5, we believe giving children books can take them new places, plant the seeds for future success and help break the cycle of poverty.
Children who lack access to a variety of books spend far less time reading, resulting in lower reading proficiency and struggle to complete high school. Unfortunately, many children in low-income neighborhoods lack access to the books they need to become competent readers. Our annual “If You Give a Child a Book …” campaign, in partnership with the Scripps Howard Fund, puts books in the hands of these children.
Each year, NewsChannel 5 and the Scripps Howard Fund partner with local schools to reach underserved children living in poverty, with a special focus on the critical kindergarten through third grade years when children are still learning to read.
The annual “If You Give a Child a Book …” campaign reinforces their work by helping students build home libraries – filling them with books children have chosen themselves.
Several higher education studies have found that when children select their own books, they are more likely to enjoy reading and score higher on comprehension tests.
The Scripps Howard Fund’s partnership with Scholastic Books ensures children get to do just that. We’ll bring Scholastic Book Fairs to schools here in our community so students can select their own books to take home.
You can donate to the If You Give a Child a Book campaign by clicking this link.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
