From "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn:" BookFest 2022
On March 8, 2022, the New York Times published an article about the effects of the pandemic on early learning, titled “It’s ‘Alarming’: Children Are Severely Behind in Reading.”
Two students at Oakridge Elementary School reading a book that they received through BookFest 2021.
Much of early elementary education is focused on building a foundation for reading, making third grade a crucial time for students, as they transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Yet in Lane County, 55% of third graders are not reading at grade level, meaning they are four times less likely to graduate from high school on time, with the pandemic serving to compound this issue. A recent mid-pandemic study shows that while all children have been affected by this loss of time in the classroom, the greatest deficits in reading scores are disproportionately concentrated in the early elementary grades (K–2). Adding to the issues are the statistics that show that Black and Hispanic children, children with disabilities, and those from low-income families have fallen the furthest behind.
BookFest, a community-wide program hosted by United Way of Lane County and Connected Lane County, began in 2018 in response to the gaps in reading scores in our local schools. BookFest gets books into the hands of K-2 students around the county, helping them build their home libraries, maintain reading gains over the summer, and ultimately, help improve reading scores.
This year’s book menu featured some classic kids books, including Magic Treehouse, and some new favorites, like Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao.
“BookFest helps make reading FUN for these young readers! Choosing their books ahead of time through the Book Menu helps build anticipation and excitement, which leads them to WANT to read.”
“I can’t wait to read this summer! Thank you for the new book,” wrote Jeremiah, a student at Oakridge Elementary School, in a card to United Way’s staff after receiving books in 2021. Jeremiah and several other students at Oakridge Elementary expressed their appreciation with drawn pictures of the books they received and the characters found within them.
Oakridge Elementary students hold up their books that they received through BookFest 2021.
This year, just under 2,000 students at 13 elementary schools across Lane County will receive books through BookFest, including schools in Junction City, Oakridge, Lowell, South Lane, Mapleton, Springfield, and Eugene. Book distribution will take place at each school in June, before schools break for the summer. Students select their desired new books from a “menu,” in addition to receiving a few unique used books that have been donated through countywide book drives.
BookFest is made possible through the efforts of local businesses and organizations. This year, several organizations hosted book drives and donated funds, including PenFed Credit Union, First American Financial, Watkinson Laird Rubenstein, Professional Credit Service, Lane County Government, Springfield Education Foundation, East West Tea Company, Access One, MAEVE Eugene, and PacificSource. Additionally, we are thankful for the efforts of volunteers in helping us prepare to get books into the hands of K-2 students. Learn how you can get involved with our book bagging events on June 2, 3, and 6 here.
With your help, we can continue to make an impact on overall student success in Lane County.
