Children’s Book Week Kicks off with The Springtime Book Brigade!

NOTE, ADDED AUGUST 2011: The effort below was a huge success! You can read all about it here, and learn about initial plans for our fall efforts here. 

As a preschool parent, some of the most powerful messages I took away from Mom Congress sessions were those on Early Literacy and Early Childhood Education. We met with organizations such as Reading is Fundamental (RIF),  National HeadStart Association, Center for Research On Children in the US, Jumpstart, Reach out and Read, Save the Children, and Portland’s own Dr. Elanna S. Yalow,  EVP of  Knowledge Universe, who addressed the importance of early childhood education on school readiness.  I have a lot to share on this topic, so stay tuned for more in upcoming posts. But there’s one fact we learned that I can’t seen to get out of my head:

Two-thirds of America’s children living in poverty have no books at home. Not one single book.

As I seem to be in a constant state of picking up and re-shelving stacks of books from the  endless (and constantly growing) collection in my daughters’ room, the divide between what we have — and what so many others don’t — has finally gotten to me in a way that I simply can’t ignore. So rather than continue to feel overwhelmed, I’ve decided to take a few simple steps.  Thinking back to the news we got at the end of Mom Congress — that Knowledge Universe’s KinderCare team would be donating books on behalf of each delegate to local kids in need across the country —  I am beginning to ask myself how I can build on these efforts, and encourage others to do the same.

AND SO BEGINS THE SPRINGTIME BOOK BRIGADE!

I’m thrilled to announce that, in honor of Children’s Book Week, I’m launching a children’s book drive this month in collaboration with Providence Montessori School, Providence Health & Services and several amazing families in our community who are already stepping forward to help.

Throughout the month of May, we’re  gathering gently used, and new, children’s books. Once we compile them and count them (making it a great math effort, too…) we will distribute them to kids who visit various centers across the Providence Health & Services system across Portland, this summer.  And, to ensure that their parents get some early literacy support, too, Knowledge Universe will be donating copies of  ”Today I Will Get Lost In A Book: A Guide To Reading With Your Child.”, a great companion tool for any parent looking to get more out of reading with their kids. Thank you to you all!

HAVE BOOKS TO DONATE?

I invite you all to Spring clean your bookshelves, take a visit to your local bookshop, or setup a collection station. If you can help in any way,  contact me at oneoregonmom@me.com or call 503.732.0203, or simply leave a note in the Comments section below. We’re accepting books through May 25, so we can coordinate and distribute in early June. Our goal is to continue growing the program next fall, too on a broader scale.  In the first two days of our drive, it’s been amazing to see the boxes we’ve set out begin to fill, and to see some dialogues underway with our preschoolers about the importance of helping others in need, and giving back, at any age. Stay tuned for more updates…and thanks in advance for your support!

LEARN AND DO MORE:

• Read “The Early Literacy Crisis: A Mom Congress Special Report”
• Read KinderCare’s “Early Literacy Tips” and share “Today I Will Get Lost In A Book” and Read Dr. Yalow’s blog posting on her Mom Congress experience, “Moms Who Are Passionate About Education“
• Here in Oregon, support SMART, (Start Making a Reader Today), an organization mobilizing volunteers throughout Oregon to support early literacy skills
• Support Reading is Fundamental:- who just lost $24.8 million in federal funding. Follow them on Facebook here, join their Advocacy campaigns here, and learn more about becoming a literacy volunteer here,
• Support Reach out and Read, a research-proven early literacy and school readiness initiative. Follow them on Facebook here and Twitter here, and support their advocacy efforts here.
• Contact your Senators to Encourage the blocking of devastating literacy program cuts here

And…read, read, read to your kids- and to other people’s kids- every chance you get. Tonight’s bedtime reads at our house were LLama Llama Red Pajama, My Name is Not Isabella, and one of my childhood favorites,  Pierre.

Thanks in advance for doing anything you can to get more books into the hands of Oregon’s kids! Join us in our goal to gather books in honor of 2011 Children’s Book Week!

NOTE, ADDED AUGUST 2011: The effort abovewas a huge success! You can read all about it here, and learn about initial plans for our fall efforts here.