Books in the Home:

Early Childhood Literacy Program

“61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children.” Reading Literacy in the United States: Findings from the IEA Reading Literacy Study. (1996).

“Children from lower-income homes have limited access to books. Because of this, preschoolers from low-income families have fewer home and preschool language and literacy opportunities than children from economically advantaged backgrounds – a major reason that they lag behind in reading achievement throughout the school years.” Berk, L. E. (2009) Child Development (8th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc

“Children who aren’t reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times as likely to drop out of high school. Donald J. Hernandez, Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation.” The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Center

The Junior League of the Golden Isles recognizes the importance of reading skills in early elementary school as a predictor of long term academic success and elevating children out of generational poverty. Access to books in the home, being read to regularly and getting excited about stories are all a part of building age-appropriate literacy skills. We are committed to doing our part to put more books in the hands of Glynn County’s neediest children and to ensure that they are read to regularly. In partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia and the Marshes of Glynn Library System, we host frequent story times for Pre-K through Second Grade at the local clubs. At each story time, the children are gifted a book and other goodies to take home. Our hope is that by building these children’s personal libraries, engaging them in active reading and story times and bringing some of their favorite storybook characters to life, we can inspire a love of reading and a desire to learn.