Summertime can be a needed break from the classroom for students – but for others, it is time spent away from practicing important skills. To help kids keep up their reading this summer, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation focused significantly on literacy programs – and the results and responses were overwhelmingly positive.
During the COVID-19 pandemic when children were learning from home, many young students’ reading proficiency cratered. According to data gathered by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, each racial demographic of third-grade students in the CHCCS district saw a drastic drop-off and slow return of reading – with minority students affected the most.
Understanding that literacy is a key determining factor for students’ overall experience in school, the Public School Foundation decided to make a “push” for that to be its central issue to help address in the coming years. Executive Director Madeline Blobe told 97.9 The Hill the group decided to revive Books Over Break: a program shelved in 2018 after its partnership with a book source ended. The goal is to collect books to send home with students to read over the summer and ultimately keep.
“Research shows,” Blobe said, “easy access to books is key to helping children who don’t typically have books in their home keep up their literacy skills over the summer. As few as ten books a summer can make a difference.”
“That was our focus for Books Over Break,” she continued. “So, we started a book drive in January, and I knew in my heart this community would respond if we asked for book donations.”
This spring, the organization collected nearly 17,000 books – so much more than expected, that PSF is continuing to find ways to give the books away. But before school let out for the summer, hundreds of students got to take some of those home through what Blobe described as a “free book fair” at participating schools.
“The kids were just very excited when they saw all the books,” she said. “[They asked,] ‘We get to pick five? We get to keep them?’ And we really tried to have high-interest books that kids would be excited about.”
The program coincided with the Public School Foundation also helping revive the READ2Me initiative with CHCCS, where teachers from 11 schools in the district went to public places within Chapel Hill and Carrboro during a week in June to read aloud to students.
“Each school identified two neighborhoods, and they spent an hour in each,” said Tammie Eddins, the director of elementary humanities for CHCCS. “Books and stories and activities were identified ahead of time, all of that was planned ahead of time by the teams.”
Each of the visits also included enrichment activities to enhance the reading lessons – like crafts or petting reptiles – as well as a chance for snacks. With the high number of book donations, it gave children another opportunity to pick out new and lightly used books, read them with parents or guardians, and take them home. Eddins said it went so well, the READ2Me program is also preparing to mobilize next summer.
Tammie Eddins, who leads CHCCS’ elementary humanities, reads to a group of children during a READ2Me day in the community. Book options for the students to take home can be seen on the central table. (Photo via the Public School Foundation.)
The drive for Books Over Break was supported by several partners of the Public School Foundation – chiefly, PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Flyleaf Books. PORCH, which is a nonprofit aiming to address hunger and food insecurity, used its volunteers and coordinators who collect donations to also ask for books to share with the Public School Foundation. PORCH Board Member Laura Malinchock said it’s the latest example of a mutually beneficial relationship between the two nonprofits, as the pair helped boost each other’s collections during typically slower months.
“We saw a little bit of an uptick those months, because I think people were getting those messages from the neighborhood coordinators and maybe that month, they wouldn’t have left something. But they said, ‘I’ve been waiting to clean off my kids’ bookshelf, of course I’ll leave some books!’ – and [then they gave] some cans of food. So, it benefited us both.”
Flyleaf Books Store Manager Talia Smart said in their partnership with PSF, people could buy books from a wish list made by the nonprofit, which were already ordered through Flyleaf and offered at a 10 percent discount to customers. Plus, the store collected gently used children’s books to donate to Books Over Break.
Smart said the effort aligned with several values Flyleaf holds – including the business’ own summer reading program.
“We think it’s super important that kids continue to read through the summer,” she added. “And we want to make that a fun experience for them, in all the ways that we can. Providing access is part of it – but just fostering the love of reading and making sure the books kids are excited to read are the ones they have access to through the summer is super important.”
Blobe echoed that point, saying the Public School Foundation’s focus on literacy is to help the students build a connection to reading that aids them not just in the classroom but also in life.
“Too often,” said the executive director, “reading can be a stressful experience for a child – that’s the last thing we want, we want it to be a joyful experience. So, having the teachers come to your home or turf, leaving at the end of the school year with a bag of brand-new books, all of these things bring happiness to reading.”
Featured photo via the Public School Foundation.
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