{{Short description, Charitable organization Reading to Kids is a

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ...

that sponsors monthly reading clubs at

inner-city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists someti ...

elementary schools A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

with low

literacy rates This is a list of countries by literacy rate. The global literacy rate for all people aged 15 and above is 86.3%. The global literacy rate for all males is 90.0%, and the rate for all females is 82.7%. The rate varies throughout the world, with ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States. It provides books and volunteers who read to the children. After each reading club, the books are donated to the schools' libraries, and each child receives a reading-related prize for attending. Reading to Kids also provides guidance for parents for encouraging their participating children to read more at home.

History

The first reading clubs were offered in May 1999 at Gratts Elementary, a primary school in Los Angeles's Westlake neighborhood. At the club, initially known as the Gratts Reading Club, eight volunteers read to twenty children. The club's popularity grew, and later that year its organizers created Reading to Kids. According to the organization's website, current volunteer attendance as of March, 2023 averages 287 per month prior to the pandemic, 150 per month during the pandemic. Student participation at eight local schools reached an average of 554 prior to the pandemic, 280 children on average during the pandemic.

Activities

Reading clubs

Reading to Kids hosts monthly reading clubs at eight Los Angeles area elementary schools. Pairs of volunteers read aloud to small groups of elementary school children, who range in grade level from kindergarten to fifth grade. The children are grouped according to grade level, and grade-level-appropriate books are selected each month by school faculty. Reading to Kids' stated goal is, in part, to "help these children associate reading with pleasure and to promote the value of education and literacy." To that end, 30 to 45 minutes of each session are reserved for a craft project, during which the students and volunteers create art related to the day's book. Often the clubs are themed; these themes extend from the choice of books for the different grade levels to the craft projects undertaken by the children. First-time volunteers typically participate in brief training sessions, during which program organizers review the clubs' rules and guidelines, and communicate other information about the roles of the volunteers and the activities planned for the day. At the end of each session, volunteers give each child a book to take home.

Book donations

Reading to Kids also strives to develop the library resources of participating schools through book donations. The books purchased or donated for use at the reading clubs are later donated to school libraries. Additionally, at the conclusion of each reading club the children are given free books. Reading to Kids notes that "60% percent of low-income homes do not have age-appropriate reading materials for children.".

Parental workshops

Parents are invited to attend parent training workshops that run contemporaneously with the reading clubs. Teachers provide training to parents on how to continue the benefits of the reading club by reading to their children at home.

Sponsors and volunteer organizations

The organization receives support from various groups, including alumni groups, student organizations, public and private companies, and other charitable foundations.Reading to Kids "Friends & Supporters" page, "Overview"

References

External links

Official webpage of Reading to Kids
Children's charities based in the United States Charities based in California