TangerKIDS grant buys little books – for a big task

Roanoke Literacy Specialist Georgette Keller is spending much of the time left of her last few days of the school year organizing $2,250 worth of books purchased with a TangerKIDS Grant. These pint-sized books are for Roanoke’s youngest and most challenged readers. They may be small, but their task is huge—to help these early readers enter first grade ready and able to read at a “B” reading level or higher.

Janine Nebons, from the Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead, wrote in her letter to Keller announcing that she was a recipient of the grant, “With the increased shortages in funding and growing needs of schools around the country, Tanger Outlet Centers Inc. is pleased to offer this new grant program to assist our local schools with funding for needed programs and/or equipment. Tanger has earmarked $1.00 of every coupon book sold at the center to kids and schools.”

“I am so excited about all of the books I was able to purchase with the TangerKIDS grant,” said Keller. “Last year I had just a few books to share with our kindergarten students. Now look,” Keller says pointing to the bins of little books in front of her. “These little books are written by reading specialist Kris Bonnell and are included on the Reading Recovery Council of North America Book List. They are designed to help our beginning readers—especially those that need reading intervention.”

According to the Reading Reading Books website, “These books published by Reading Reading Books, LLC are written to promote a young reader’s enjoyment of literature… with books they can really read! Each book is carefully developed by an experienced, certified K-12 Reading Specialist, with a concentration in the area of primary literacy. Our books are ideal for a variety of students including: lower level first graders, on level pre-kindergarten and kindergarteners, elementary school children with special needs, and English as a Second Language learners. Our books are so versatile that teachers may use them for reading group instruction or independent reading. They are also perfect for tutors, intervention programs, and home reading.”

The above paragraph is a good description of the students on Keller’s list of the children who will utilize these books the most. More than 60% of these students are English Language Learners from many different countries. Keller is also busy preparing summer take-home reading packets for these challenged readers.

According to a letter recently sent home with the Roanoke students concerning summer reading, “Studies show that children who do not read or have access to books during the summer months lose up to 2 ½ months of reading performance. Those losses accumulate during the elementary school years so that by the time a child enters middle school he/she may be 2 ½ years behind. All children, whether from low, middle or upper income families can fall victim to the ‘summer slide’ if not provided with summer reading opportunities.”

Source: Riverhead Central School District press release, issued June 19.

Photo credit: Sandra Kolbo, RSCD