Now More Than Ever - Reading Is Fundamental

2007 RIF at a GlanceState Sites Children Books State Sites Children BooksAlabama 183 55,333 231,166 Nebraska 100 5,925 21,257Alaska 104 14,008 64,888 Nevada 76 30,934 105,409Arizona 430 148,134 459,698 New Hampshire 109 10,826 43,747Arkansas 293 34,581 137,321 New Jersey 367 76,074 295,987Michigan Program Helpsthe Next GenerationAt the Civic Park Community School of Flint, Mich., 96 percentof the students are at risk for educational failure. Given thestudents’ very limited access to public libraries, this elementaryschool’s RIF program is often the only means by which they canget regular exposure to books. What makes this program trulyoutstanding, though, is the high level of parental involvement.Many parents are former RIF kids themselves, so they havefirsthand knowledge of just how transformative RIF can be.Family of Readers:Making a DifferenceLocated on the Canadian border, the Franklin-Grand IsleFamily of Readers program in Swanton, Vt., is proof that astrong partnership between parents and teachers is a boon toyoung readers. Thanks in part to Capital One’s $1.25 milliongrant for Family of Readers programs, more than 650 childrenages 0–18 have the chance to experience, along with theirfamilies, the joy of reading. Dedicated volunteers—many ofwhom are parents and teachers—drive a bookmobile aroundthe region to make sure that none of the children are left out.California 2,220 592,624 2,044,646New Mexico 139 38,215 147,449Colorado 425 64,530 230,859New York 1,116 401,513 1,405,123WAConnecticut 201 57,506 227,432N. Carolina 366 94,623 345,745Delaware 55 9,651 31,427N. Dakota 69 8,176 32,080ORMTNDMEMNDC 171 61,121 188,216Florida 780 180,679 675,652Georgia 415 59,801 220,171Hawaii 60 8,434 33,907Idaho 107 11,221 39,695Illinois 938 147,411 558,567Ohio 801 101,603 416,453Oklahoma 183 39,690 136,680Oregon 343 56,265 226,595Pennsylvania 906 219,968 834,868Puerto Rico 138 22,774 73,500Rhode Island 158 50,054 159,260CANVAZIDUTNMWYCOSDNEKSOKIAMOARWIILMIINKYTNOHwvSCNYPANJMDDEDCVANCVTCTNHMARIIndiana 488 146,291 443,796S. Carolina 178 58,475 191,901TXLAMSALGAIowa 293 40,777 153,688Kansas 275 64,696 269,006Kentucky 356 79,091 301,075S. Dakota 168 11,972 43,611Tennessee 323 107,516 403,030Texas 1,275 514,084 1,861,488Number of ChildrenServed by RIF Programs100,000+50,000-100,000HIAKPRVIFLLouisiana 169 44,942 138,131Utah 144 17,920 65,75220,000-50,000Maine 132 19,450 80,773Vermont 98 14,307 60,252Fewer than 20,000Maryland 145 27,174 105,313Virgin Islands 12 3,326 15,522Massachusetts 263 65,717 239,833Michigan 908 164,446 643,853Minnesota 495 133,191 460,314Mississippi 278 79,791 277,528Missouri 418 85,230 288,076Montana 107 11,813 46,497Virginia 454 141,452 503,461Washington 216 61,278 232,648W. Virginia 110 20,944 78,925Wisconsin 366 81,002 322,983Wyoming 41 4,350 19,887Total 18,965 4,600,909 16,635,141Native Language BooksPreserve Cultural HeritageSeventy percent of the families in the Parents as TeachersShared Beginnings RIF program in Gallup, N.M., are Navajo.Due to the flexibility of the RIF book-ordering process, theprogram is able to provide books in the Navajo language.Participating teen parents are excited to select these books toshare with their infants and young children; before RIF, mostof these youngsters did not have a single book in their homes.Now, says the coordinator, “they have books in every room.”Comforting and ConnectingThrough BooksThanks to the work of the Richmond, Va.-based HomeAgainagency, homeless families can see a ray of light in an otherwisedark time. “These families are in a crisis that affects all aspectsof a child’s life,” says the RIF coordinator. To ease that crisis,each year the agency’s RIF program distributes free books to125 children and organizes literacy-related events to promotefamily togetherness. Activities such as puppet storytellinghelp youngsters develop an interest in reading, and also serveas a fun bonding experience for parents and their children.