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The Denton Rotary Club is proud to present the Road to Reading Program for the fourth year. To date, this program has distributed more than 9,094 books to our youngest learners. This program supports basic education by providing a free, age-appropriate book to incoming Pre-K and Kindergarten students joining Denton ISD. Books selected from the Step into Reading program which provides tools for those students who are beginning to read.
The United Way of Denton County has completed its annual Community Needs Assessment for 2024, reiterating the need for this grant within the Denton community. Only 39% of economically disadvantaged Denton County third graders read at grade level, so it is critical to encourage reading and literacy as students begin their elementary school careers. Reading to young children is a crucial way to help them build language skills. It exposes them to new words and ways to use language. It also helps them learn general information about the world. Books can help children build empathy and learn how to manage challenging feelings.
The United Way needs assessment also reported that, for fifteen consecutive years, the number of economically disadvantaged students in Denton County has increased. The current numbers show that 8% of Denton County Households live in Poverty, and 21% of Denton County Households are classified as ALICE families (Access Limited Income Constrained Employed). A family struggling to pay bills and fulfill basic needs cannot invest in book ownership for a home library. However, studies show that children with books accessible at home are more likely to enjoy reading and have stronger reading skills than those without.
This year we again hope to purchase approximately 2,500 books for distribution to the students in Denton ISD. To achieve this goal, we need to raise approximately $24,000, and this District Grant will help us reach it. We are proud to say we have met and even slightly exceeded our goal over the past two years, thanks to club funds, district support, and an outpouring of support from the Denton community who believe in this product.
Rotarians will be involved by serving on the committee and completing assigned tasks, such as collecting individual school headcounts in coordination with DISD. They will track the project's financials. They will coordinate logistics, including picking up, labeling, and distributing books. All club members can support the project with monetary donations and share information with their circles of influence. Club members can also participate in book distributions with students and parents this year, where possible.
An extension of this project is distributing 200 books to the Texas Health of Denton Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We provide 200 books each year to the NICU, which then provides a book to each family in the NICU. Families are encouraged to use the book to read to their new babies to start the bonding process. When families leave, they can take the book home, and they are encouraged to keep reading to build lifelong learners.
Sources:
https://www.unitedwaydenton.org/denton-county-needs-assessment
https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/reading-to-children
https://junipereducation.org/blog/the-impact-of-owning-a-book/
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