Book Bus makes the stops for literacy
All over town, the Book Bus continues to deliver smiles through thousands of free books for kids. Elkhart Public Library continues building on seven years of having a positive impact on child literacy our community.
Letting kids pick out a book of their own builds excitement for reading and backs up the work teachers are doing in the classroom.
These are just a few of the stories about how the Book Bus fosters a community of young readers throughout the Elkhart area.
Concord celebrates reading milestone with Book Bus
After four years of work to increase reading scores at Concord Community Schools, Dan Funston knew who to call when the time arrived to celebrate. And Elkhart Public Library’s Book Bus delivered for every elementary student in the district.
“(Of) all the schools in the state that are similar in size to us, we wanted to be the best,” says Funston, superintendent for Concord schools and a board member with the Horizon Education Alliance. “We set a goal to be the leader in our peer group … and we surpassed that. It’s been a concerted effort to adopt high-quality curricular resources, including great books for our students.”
Giving away thousands of books each year, EPL’s Book Bus bolsters the work being done in schools. It builds a love of reading, giving kids a choice of what they want to read.
Funston says EPL and the schools share a mission to build literacy skills from a young age.
“The relationship (between the library and schools) hopefully continues to grow and stay strong,” he says.
By giving kids books of their own to read at home, they use the skills they’re practicing in the classroom.
“There’s a huge range of stories in the Book Bus and it feels like every kid has walked away with something that is personal and meaningful to them, which is great,” Funston says.
The Book Bus is making an impact throughout the area by building a love of reading and putting smiles on kids’ faces. On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, EPL is asking for financial support to continue sharing the joy of reading through free books for kids. For corporate partnership opportunities, call EPL’s Jill Martinson at 574-294-2619.
What people are saying about the Book Bus
“It’s been the highlight of my kids’ summers, following the Book Bus everywhere. My daughter – she has a learning disability, so she reads at a lower level and enjoys the books (for) younger kids. My son – he wasn’t really enthusiastic about reading until he got diagnosed as dyslexic last year. But he’s been excited about getting new books to read.
It’s important for children who like to read, whose parents might not be able to get them books to read. I think it’s important to see their faces when they get on the brightly colored Book Bus and pick out their own books.” – Jennifer Hoff, mother of 11-year-old Bentley and 18-year-old Bridget
“I have seen a decrease in books at home. Unfortunately, prices keep going up and wages aren’t, so it’s harder to get access to those books. Early literacy is a key foundation. Having books at home is really going to help these students build their fluency, build their love of reading. And reading at home is one of the biggest indicators of success in reading. They are very excited to be able to keep these books, and there were lots for them to choose from, which they loved,” – Katie Helm, first grade teacher at Ox Bow Elementary School
“Study after study shows that time on task, reading physical books supports learning…(kids) need the tactile nature of carrying a book. An iPad or Kindle for reading at a young age doesn’t cut it. I think just time on task reading in and of itself is so important, and we don’t do enough of that. It’s been great … getting to know the things that the library is trying to do. I think we all have an uphill battle with technology and the distractions that are available to our kids these days. (But) that’s what we’re here for, to teach kids how to read.” – Dan Funston, Concord Community Schools Superintendent
“Kids with more books in their home fare better. They fare better not only in literacy, but overall. There is no downside and a lot of upside. I think having a Book Bus is a real gem. It is something that Elkhart should really treasure. It really does increase accessibility and outreach. It’s not something they should take for granted. We know that libraries are a significant part of our communities.” – Kathy Meyer Reimer, professor emerita of Goshen College’s Education Department and a Goshen Public Library Trustee