Written by Ann Luce
Education and Literacy are one of the pillars of service of the Rotary Club of North Minneapolis. We are called to promote the joy of learning in all ways possible. At many of our events, like during the International Day of Peace celebration, we give away books to children to promote reading. We also have a Little Free Library at Fremont and Broadway in front of Shiloh Temple which has books for adults and children.
We are encouraging students to love reading by asking them to tell us about a book that they love—maybe this is a book that they related to or one in which they felt “seen” or a book that they wanted to have read to them over and over. We want to hear about good experiences with books. We hope that the students will share with each other as well. We will have a good collection of new books so that each student will be able to choose a book that they would like. We may also have some used books for families to take home.
Multiple studies suggest that increasing access to diverse books in elementary schools can positively impact student reading scores and academic performance (results from First Book Research). Specifically:
- Improved reading scores: Research indicates that students’ reading scores can increase after diverse books are added to their classroom libraries. One study showed an increase of 3 points higher (+9) than nationally expected average yearly gains, with the greatest gains seen in the lowest-scoring students (+11).
- Increased engagement and time spent reading: Diverse books can motivate students to read more and spend more time engaging with reading materials. Studies have shown an average increase of 4 hours per week in reading time after the introduction of diverse books. This increased engagement can contribute to improved reading proficiency and help close achievement gaps for students reading below grade level.
- Positive impact on reluctant readers: Diverse books can be particularly impactful for reluctant readers. Qualitative feedback from educators suggests that students who previously engaged in “fake reading” started reading when given the opportunity to choose from a diverse selection of books.
- Stronger impact with specific diverse titles: Studies suggest that classrooms adding bilingual and LGBTQ+ titles see the greatest improvements in student reading scores and engagement. Specifically, each additional bilingual book in a classroom library was associated with a 7-point average improvement in student reading assessment scores, while each additional LGBTQ+ book was associated with a 4.5-point average improvement.
In addition to academic gains, diverse books can also contribute to students’ social and emotional development, fostering empathy, self-esteem, and a greater appreciation for cultural differences. They can also challenge stereotypes and encourage critical thinking.
It is important to note that while these findings are promising some studies, such as the one conducted by First Book, were pilot studies with limitations, and further research with larger samples and control groups is needed to validate and expand upon these initial findings.
We hope that you consider coming and encourage others. If this is successful, we will replicate this event at other Northside libraries.
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All kids are invited to North Regional Library, 1315 Lowry N. on Saturday, August 23 from 1-2:15 p.m. (or until the books run out!). Enjoy snacks, chat about your favorite books, and choose a brand-new book to take home! Free and open to all kids. Come celebrate the joy of reading! Sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Minneapolis