The Brainy Bunch wants your books for low-income kids

Oh, the places you’ll go with a foundation of good books.

That’s the belief of the Brainy Bunch, and thus they want your books. The group is launching a book drive that aims to collect a giant stack of books and then redistribute them to low-income kids in the community.

When it comes to third-grade reading levels, Colorado Springs isn’t so hot. The recent Quality of Life Indicators (QLI) report for this region indicated that 25 percent of third-graders can’t read at their grade level. It’s a weakness in this community, according to the report, and it hasn’t been getting any better.

Third-graders behind in reading may not seem like a big deal, but as educators know, it’s a critical juncture because third grade is roughly the time when kids stop learning to read and start reading to learn. Without the foundation, it’s hard to catch up. 

Mike Miles, superintendent of Harrison School District 2, pointed out that third-grade reading levels correlate to later academic success, dropout rates and even likelihood of incarceration as an adult.

“Across the nation there’s a growing recognition that third-grade reading levels are hugely important,” Miles said. “It’s critical for us to address the problem early, and I say ‘us’ because it’s a community problem, not just a school problem.”

The QLI Education Vision Council, in collaboration with Alliance for Kids and Pikes Peak United Way, is determined to improve third-grade reading levels with their formation of the Brainy Bunch. Their plan is to concentrate on children birth through age 5.

“Reading to and with children birth to 5, an age at which 85 percent of the core structure of a child’s brain is formed, is of prime importance,” said Noreen Landis-Tyson, president of the Community Partnership for Child Development and co-chair of the QLI Education Vision Council. Although most brain development occurs by age 5, most public investment in education occurs after age 5, she said.

They want to get books into young kids’ hands and educate parents about the importance of reading to their kids from birth.

The books collected during this initial drive — and then ongoing — will be distributed through hospital birthing centers, pediatrician offices, home visits to new parents, and early childhood learning centers. Those partners will also be key to educating parents and passing out parent reading guides.

The program is concentrating on low-income areas, including Harrison School District 2, Widefield School District 3, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, and portions of Colorado Springs School District 11.

The organizers hope to see their efforts begin to show up in test results during the next three to eight years, as this cadre of children hits third grade.

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Call the writer at 636-0226

DETAILS

Brainy Bunch Book Drive
When: Now through Oct. 19
Where: Any Colorado Springs Wal-Mart location, or Pikes Peak Library District branch
What kind of books? New or gently used, appropriate for ages 0-5.
For more information on the program, call 2-1-1. To volunteer time, contact Alliance for Kids at 634-7619.