By Denise Gary
Kids Need to Read is the honored recipient of a $2,164 pledge from Mesa United Way to be used toward the READ Together program in the Mesa, Arizona community. Funds dedicated to READ Together are used to implement the program in poorly funded schools located in low socioeconomic areas of the United States. These schools must be actively seeking methods and resources to assist in increasing low literacy levels among their student population. Mesa United Way’s gift to Kids Need to Read will help fund the fulfillment of READ Together at Lowell Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, providing the school with the resources necessary to continue the program year after year.
Children who are routinely read to day in and day out—and immersed in rich talk about books and the various activities in which they are engaged—thrive. And those children with less exposure to books face tougher learning challenges in school and beyond.—Scholastic, Early Literacy
It has been established that forty-five percent of our nation’s children reside in neighborhoods and homes that lack access to books and libraries, and many attend schools that cannot afford to purchase books.
That means that, today, 32.4 million American children go without books—even as study after study has shown that literacy is crucial to success in school, future earning potential, and the ability to contribute to the nation’s economy. —Randi Weingarten, American Educator, Spring 2015
READ Together partners with schools and other literacy organizations to encourage adult caregivers to read every day with their children. The program utilizes a wealth of leveled books, educational resources, reading buddies, tips for caregivers on the go, and inspiration, all designed to increase at-home reading activities on a daily basis. Through a consistent, effective approach, young students will develop vital reading skills that will serve them throughout their educational years and beyond.
![READ Together Logo [en]](http://community.kidsneedtoread.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/READ-Together-Logo-en-e1440375022281.jpg){kind=logo}
Kids Need to Read sincerely thanks Mesa United Way for contributing to READ Together. The organization invests contributions in “programs proven to work,” focusing on basic needs, education, health, and self-reliance. The READ Together program was selected for funding because of its foundational focus on increasing reading proficiency levels among kindergarten and first grade students for their future success. Kids Need to Read is looking forward to serving the children who will benefit from Mesa United Way’s foresight and generosity.
More: READ Together Information and Family Reading Tips
READ Together Contributors
Book Review Service–KINDLEBOOKREVIEW
Employees Community Fund of Boeing Arizona
Fiesta Bowl Charities
Highlights for Children
Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation
Mesa Host Lions Club
Mesa United Way
Kim Oshiro, Author
Reading Buddy Donors
Chase Bank
Sharon Disador
Elephants Remember Joplin
Joy Herring
Kim Oshiro, Author
Jessica Payne
Phoenix Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club
Sarah Swarbrick
TTPM
Marcy Beasley, Wilma, and Wilma’s Crochet Buddies
Cheryl Woodward, Author
