BROCKWAY, Pa. (EYT) – When a family starts out, extra money for books may not be in the budget. While parents know that reading is important, they may find it difficult to provide their child with the right tools.
Mengle Memorial Library added a Books in Homes Program to combat this difficulty. The idea came to the library when Sandy Preston, a Title I teacher at Brockway Area Elementary School, brought her students to the library. Preston suggested that students needed high-interest books at home to keep any reading gains they get at school.
“Studies show kids need books at home to be able to read well,” Mengle Head Librarian Darlene Marshall said. “When Mrs. Preston found out many of her kids didn’t have any books at home, she suggested getting books from the library. We told kids that if they couldn’t get the book back until the end of summer, then we’ll be okay with that.”
A copy of There’s a Wocket in my Pocket sent home with a Brockway kindergartner to help build his home library.
Scholastic Publishing recently highlighted a study, published in Social Science Research, that shows having books in the home can help children with literacy, math comprehension, and problem solving. According to Scholastic, literacy rates skyrocket when a home has 80 books inside, but as few as 10 books makes a difference.
Marshall found donors to help bring literacy to the homes in Brockway. The Frank Varischetti Foundation provided $1,900 and the Gray Family Foundation gave $2,000. This allowed Marshall to spend $3.25 per book.
“We get Scholastic books by the bushel,” Marshall said. “We found the kids were all fighting over one book, a Captain Underpants book. We had to get more from that franchise to meet the demand.”
While some may cringe at Captain Underpants, the books are high-interest to sixth graders. Preston told Marshall that a child reading the same book over and over again is very helpful, teaching them reading and comprehension skills while creating a positive memory with that book.
“Parents might be annoyed reading the same book over and over, but it’s important to the kids’ development,” Marshall said. “And the positive memories with reading will help them keep reading.”
Many libraries are dealing with budget cuts and restricting programs. In Mengle’s case, one of the major funding sources has decreased its giving. Marshall has to find ways to keep the library current and running, but also make it relevant to the community. Books in Homes is a way to do that.
“We get kids to come into the library and look around,” Marshall said. “Our kids’ library is a fun place. Parents and grandparents come here, and they get to see how excited their kids are.”
Now that the library is sending books home with kids, and the kids get to keep those books, Marshall hopes that will create lifelong readers.
“Getting sixth graders excited to pick out a book is a big deal,” Marshall said. “That’s why we spent a little extra money to get books kids actually like.”
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