ASPIRA’s Reading Institute promotes and encourages children in Central California to become lifelong readers. Statistics show that 16% of parents with children under three years of age do not read to their children at all and 23% do so only once or twice a week. Reading difficulties and illiteracy contribute to school failure, increasing absenteeism, school drop-outs, juvenile delinquency, increased crime, teen pregnancy, drug use and other problems that impact our community. Studies show the easiest way to increase literacy among pre-school and school age children is to simply read to them.

The Importance of Children's Literacy

"Literacy is an individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential."
--National Literacy Act, 1991

The Problem

• Children who live near or below the federal poverty line have much lower average reading scores than their peers.
• Lack of basic literacy skills is linked with academic failure, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, unemployment, low productivity, and welfare dependence.
• Parents who cannot read tend to have children who struggle with reading, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

 
The Solution

• Providing books to children is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to promote language and literacy growth.
• Owning books is a critical feature of every child's intellectual development.
• Reading aloud to children is the single most effective parent practice for enhancing language and literacy development.
• Children with books at home are eight times more likely to list reading as one of their favorite activities.

The Importance of Children's Literacy to North Carolina

Thank you for my book. It is the best book I have at my house, it’s my best and goodest. I’ve never had one before.
-- Irina

Children who lack early exposure to reading struggle academically, tend to suffer from low self-esteem, and are at much higher risk of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and delinquency. The children most at risk come from low-income families where parents do not or cannot read to their children and for whom books are an unaffordable luxury.

Studies have shown that being read to as a child and having books in the home are the two most important indicators of future academic success. Families who live at or below the federal poverty level cannot afford to buy books and seldom have books in the home. According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, by the 4th grade only 68% of children from low-income families in North Carolina can read at a basic level, compared to 88% from more affluent households.

For families struggling to make ends meet in these difficult economic times, books and reading may be their last priorities. Yet, reading is the very skill these children need most to succeed in school and move beyond a life of poverty.