Why I'm Passionate About Getting Books Into the Homes of Children Who Are Poor

What can third grade literacy tell us about high school success?

The statistics on literacy and poverty in our nation and my city are stunning. Four out of five 4th graders from low-income families were not able to reach the "proficient" reading level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. (1) What makes this statistic more alarming is the fact that children who can't read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma than their peers who can read proficiently. (2) The first few grades of elementary school are absolutely critical when it comes to literacy, because that's when the most important reading skills are built.

In Shelby County, Tennessee, where I live, more than 60,000 students finish the third grade each year without the literacy skills that will be critical to their success. (3) That number astounds me.

Obviously, there is much more than needs to be done within our educational system to ensure that all children, especially those living in poverty, have the resources they need to learn and thrive. However, school should not be the only place where we work to improve children's literacy.

Why having books at home matters

I've long been aware that poor children don't have the same access to books that children who are more financially secure do. It's a no brainer. When parents are struggling to pay rent and buy food, clothing, and other necessities with their earnings, there's not likely to be much left for books. I've also seen first hand the excitement that children feel when they get a brand-new book to take home. I am so thankful that I grew up surrounded by books, and on an emotional level I've known that all children need and deserve that same experience.

What fascinated me though, was a study I heard about last year. It spanned more than 20 years, following over 70,000 students in 27 countries. It found that having many books in the home was as good a predictor of educational success for a child as the family's income or the father's occupation.(4) Something as simple as filling a child's home with books was so powerful! Perhaps it's because children who live in a print-rich environment (in other words surrounded by many books and other types of reading material), have many more opportunities to practice, and reinforce, their burgeoning reading skills.

Partnering with Literacy Mid-South this holiday season

Thankfully there are many organizations here in Shelby County and throughout the United States that are focused on getting books into the homes of children who need them most. One of them is Literacy Mid-South, which partners with a variety of community organizations in low-income neighborhoods to improve literacy among kindergarten through 3rd grade students. Literacy Mid-South provides books, iPads, literacy programming, and financial support to a variety of groups working on the front lines with children in poverty.

I'm so honored to be working with Literacy Mid-South this year to provide beautiful, creative, multi-cultural, non-commercial Barefoot Books for children whose bookshelves are too often bare. Through my Party with a Purpose campaign, my goal is to donate at least 100 Barefoot Books to Literacy Mid-South by the end of the year. Find out more about how you can help when you shop or host a party with me. Please email me or call me at (901) 212-6309 if you have any questions or would like to help out in other ways.

(1) "Early Reading Proficiency in the United States, " Annie E. Casey Foundation.
(2) Hernandez, Donald. "Double Jeopardy: How Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation," Annie E. Casey Foundation. 
(3) Literacy Mid-South 
(4) Summary of study published by Research in Social Stratification and Mobility.