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Children Challenged by Low Literacy

Poverty affects children on many levels, reading being no exception. Children who come from low-income families suffer from a reading proficiency gap of more than 40% compared to their high-income counterparts, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Children who have their own books at home have a better chance of learning to read and doing better in school. Sadly, 61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes (J. McQuillan, “The Literacy Crisis: False Claims, Real Solutions,” 1998).

The K.I.D.S. Literacy Program donates new children’s books. It provides new, clean and age-appropriate books to children in need who have low reading levels and who require encouragement in the love of reading. K.I.D.S. provides children with their own new books to motivate them to read, to improve their literacy skills, and to build a bridge between school, after-school and home reading.

K.I.D.S.’ literacy and educational programs have been proven successful over the years. Some of our most significant collaborations have been with state agencies, national public leaders, and book publishers to enhance the literacy of Native American children. In South Dakota, North Dakota, and New Mexico, K.I.D.S. held large distributions of children’s books for Native American children who are suffering from low literacy levels. The distributions were focused on the idea that if children own books at home, they are more likely to learn to read. Therefore, many books were given directly to children to take home and share with their family and siblings. Educators, families, school and government leadership all agreed that the immediate effect was that children coveted the books, and they were encouraged to experience reading as a very special and enjoyable thing.

K.I.D.S also provides books and educational materials to after-school programs throughout the country, through partner agencies including Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Communities in Schools (CIS). CIS’ after-school programs provide at-risk students with tutoring and mentoring by AmeriCorps volunteers. The books and educational materials provided by K.I.D.S. greatly expand the resources available to the students and tutors. CIS’ programs have proven effective in increasing academic performance and graduation rates of children participating in their case management program, of which the after-school program is an important part. A five-year study conducted by ICF International found that for 6th graders, CIS case management had a sizable and statistically significant impact on students’ performance in reading.