The Book Donation Extravaganza giving students at Parker Bennett Curry reading opportunities
BOWLING GREEN, KY.- An elementary school in Bowling Green celebrated the joy of reading today by giving those who are less fortunate the opportunity to dive into a book. At Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School thanks to the special book extravaganza .
WKU Literacy Ambassadors are providing elementary students with limited access to books the chance to read at home by partnering with the Bowling Green Rotary Club and Half Price Books. They donated books selected specifically for students from preschool to fifth grade.
The Associate Professor of Literacy Education Nancy Hulan shares her expertise and the knowledge she gains from working with the elementary students. She says, “We know from research that kiddos who have access to books at home do a lot better academically in school. They read more, especially if the books are about things they’re interested in and are accessible to them.”
For the elementary school students, this was a different experience. They didn’t know what to expect. Madison Hines, a WKU student teacher and a former preschool teacher shares the reaction of the students and the importance of students being able to read books at home.
“They’re used to, just like getting library books and having to take them home and bring them back, so they were kind of confused that they got to keep their books. It’s good for kids to have books at their house that they keep that are theirs, and we said like a lot of kids live in book deserts like that they don’t have access to books that they can keep.”
The books are chosen based on what they like and even the languages they speak. Donating these books will give children who wouldn’t normally read at home the opportunity to get ahead and become better students.
The extravaganza is proving to be more than an opportunity for them to read, and everyone was able to gain something. Hulan also shares, “The joy in seeing the kiddos’ faces, not just the kids at Parker Bennett Curry, but also our WKU students and being able to interact with kiddos while they looked at the books was really fun and a really rewarding experience.”
This won’t be the last time the Western Kentucky University Literacy Ambassadors donate books and time to different schools in the community. News 40 will bring you more on the Literacy Ambassadors and the great work they do in the community.
