It’s not every day I find myself in a second-grade classroom surrounded by happy and appreciative children.
Yet that’s exactly where I found myself recently when I joined the staff of Book Trust on a visit to Palolo Elementary School.
Book Trust is a nonprofit organization that enables children in need to choose and order books from Scholastic Book Clubs.
Book Trust raises the funds so students can order $7 worth of books of their choice each month of the school year — usually around 20 titles a year.
As I watched the classroom teacher open the big white box from Scholastic Book Club, you could have heard a pin drop. Fabulous books, books to enjoy, books to take home were in that box — and you could see the sheer delight on the children’s faces.
I and other Book Trust board members on Oahu got to pass out the books, visit with children about their selections and then read with small groups of kids — a welcome change from common board duties that often surround fiscal operations.
I’m fortunate to have been part of such a fun-filled morning. But there are important numbers behind my fun at Palolo Elementary, a school where 97 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch and 58 percent of the students are English-language learners.
Studies show 61 percent of low-income families have no books in their homes. In some of the lowest-income neighborhoods in our country, there is only one book available for every 300 children.
Yet, owning books is such an early predictor of reading success. Children who own books — compared to those children who don’t own books — enjoy reading more, read more frequently and for longer lengths of time when they do read, are more likely to visit a library, and have more positive attitudes to reading.
Book ownership is an essential foundation for a lifetime of reading success and can give children an invaluable sense of independence and success.
Unfortunately, many children and families have little ability to buy books and/or have limited access to books in our community. Children who come to school with unequal circumstances will leave school with unequal skills and abilities. Children who start behind, sadly, stay behind.
Book Trust works to even the circumstances of school-aged literacy. Book Trust came to Hawaii in 2005 and served 1,800 students at five schools. Today, Book Trust is serving 4,500 students in 23 schools on Maui and Oahu. This year alone, Book Trust will invest $250,000 in 100,000 books for some of the neediest children in the state.
Book Trust is making a difference in Hawaii. As Principal Ruth Silberstein explained, over the past five years, Palolo’s reading proficiency results have increased from 45 percent to 67 percent.
In addition to a laser-like focus on improving instructional practices to meet the needs of her students, Silberstein credits Book Trust for this growth as well.
