CALIFORNIA
Supporting K–3 Student Growth through Reading
Home Book Delivery for California Students
Overview Reading is a vital part of a child’s development. Understanding the world around them begins with the written word. Their ability to recognize words in text (sounding them out if needed) and comprehend the words’ meanings and context is tied to success in school and in life. While there are many milestones on a child’s reading journey, third grade is the most critical . If a child has not mastered the skills to read fluently by then, they often fall behind, and stay behind for the rest of their academic career. As of 2022, only half of third-graders in California can read on grade level. Currently, the state is implementing urgent measures to address this issue and there are several states whose successes can inform California’s path forward. From Florida to Connecticut, Scholastic has worked with state leaders to implement home book delivery programs , support state initiatives, and help students achieve reading proficiency in Grades K–3.
Urgent Reforms Are Already Under Way California is the largest and most diverse state in the country with 6 million children in TK–12, 1.7 million in Grades K–3, and 2.7 million ages five and under—with more than 50 home languages spoken. The state is a national leader in initiatives supporting whole-child learning and development. In fact, Governor Newsom, the California Legislature, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thurmond have launched an ambitious plan to ensure all students learn to read by third grade, including multilingual learners. The state has also directed funding, required local LEA planning, and provided professional development for teachers in Grades K–3 to settle a legal challenge and improve the literacy of students in California’s most challenged schools. Let’s Make Those Reforms Even Stronger Despite a large investment into these new programs, there is no specific effort being made to ensure that all California’s elementary school students have access to free print reading materials. The recently enacted State Imagination Library program provides home delivery of books for children aged five and under but does not reach students in kindergarten through their pivotal third-grade year. A home book delivery program builds on this investment by providing every K–3 student in California with free print books and magazines that are culturally responsive and aligned to their grade, age, and reading levels. Because more books in the home has been shown to lead to greater education attainment (Evans et al., 2010), this program is perfectly aligned with the governor and state superintendent’s read by third grade initiative.
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Improving a Child’s Literacy Takes Teamwork Instituting a free book delivery program takes forward-thinking leadership, commitment, and collaboration. Scholastic is here to support you every step of the way. No other organization can offer so many beloved books and materials along with the operational support, logistical capacity, and robust data needed to create and sustain a successful book delivery program across the entire state of California. Our highly experienced team will work side by side with local education leaders to grow home libraries and help students experience the joy of reading as they gain knowledge, explore new places, and develop their intellectual abilities—a true triumph for students, families, and educators across California!
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More than 3.5 million books delivered
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See the Results for Yourself Scholastic has already partnered with several states to build comprehensive home delivery programs from the ground up. Take a look at some of our most recent success stories . FLORIDA NEW WORLDS READING INITIATIVE Scholastic was selected as the literacy partner for the New Worlds Reading Initiative (NWRI). The initiative, funded by the Florida state legislature, is a free program that mails a new and specialized book in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, or braille each month to each eligible enrolled K–5 student in Florida. 1.4 million books delivered during the first year of the program TENNESSEE GOVERNOR’S EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATION In partnership with the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, Scholastic has distributed over 2 million books from 2020 to 2022 to K–3 students and their families. This program includes collaboration with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. Over 2 million books delivered as of Summer 2022 CONNECTICUT PARTNERSHIP In 2020 and 2021, Scholastic provided reading and writing instruction to more than 185,000 PreK–8 students while they were learning from home. In total, 275,000 books were delivered to Connecticut homes. The books aligned with Connecticut state learning standards, and parents were encouraged to work with their children to complete a range of literacy exercises. The Learn from Home Task Force assisted in the distribution of these resources. 275,000 books delivered
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How Does a Home Delivery Book Program Work?
At the beginning of the school year, students can select books for home delivery based on their interests, grade level, language, and reading ability. Parents will receive training materials and activities designed to increase family engagement.
The books are delivered to families’ homes as early as October and delivery ends as late as June.
Each school district monitors the progress of the program to ensure an efficient use of resources .
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Bringing It All Together As you work to ensure every student can read by the third grade, a home book delivery program for Grades K–3 can play an essential role in achieving this ambitious goal. Books in the home have been shown to elevate reading levels and create a meaningful connection between families and their children. Most importantly, a home delivery program gives educators, families, and communities the tools they need to help students succeed throughout their academic careers—and beyond.
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EDUCATORS Home delivery programs are a win-win. Teachers, literacy coaches, and reading specialists will be working inside the school to help students improve their vocabulary, phonics, and comprehension skills. These skills are reinforced at home, creating a seamless transition. STUDENTS A home delivery program is a great opportunity to begin the practice of independent reading, which builds the foundational skills necessary for fluent, engaged reading. Plus, allowing students to choose books that reflect their interests, cultures, and experiences gives them the opportunity to shape their reading journey and builds a lifelong love of reading and learning. FAMILIES A well-rounded book delivery program ensures that students reap the rewards of literacy in the home. Providing families with culturally relevant books that they can read together strengthens bonds and helps students perform better in school. With training videos, support networks, and more, families get everything they need to take an active role in their children’s education.
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Multiply the Impact of Home Libraries with School Connections When a child wants to read, nothing should stand in their way. Whether they are in the classroom, at home, or on the bus, an engaging book should always be within reach. One of the best ways to ensure every child has access to the books they need is to create a fluid transition between reading in school and reading at home. By combining Scholastic Classroom Libraries and Magazines+ with your home delivery program, you can create endless opportunities for engaged reading—in class, at home, and anywhere in between.
Home libraries engage families and provide access to diverse, high-quality books.
Classroom libraries and magazines drive lasting literacy achievement.
Print and digital resources reinforce program equity both in and out of school.
Complementing California’s Read by Third Grade Initiative
GOAL 1: Sharpen the focus and strengthen instruction. Engage teachers and families in a culture of literacy with learning supports and tools to monitor progress.
GOAL 2: Create community collaboration. Send books and magazines home to expand essential literacy environments outside of school.
GOAL 3: Build a culture of reading. Provide all students with enriching reading materials that boost achievement and joy.
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Research The Importance of Building Home Libraries
References
Approximately 80 books in an adolescent student’s home library raises literacy levels to average . (Sikora, Evans, and Kelley 2019) Growing up with more books in the home has been shown to elevate students’ educational attainment across 27 countries, including the United States . (Evans et al. 2010)
Allington, R., et al. (2010). Addressing summer reading setback among economically disadvantaged elementary students. Reading Psychology , Vol. 31(5). Evans, M. D., et al. (2010). Family scholarly culture and educational success: Books and schooling in 27 nations. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility , Vol. 28(2), 171–197. Kim, J. S., and Guryan, J. (2010). The efficacy of a voluntary summer book reading intervention for low-income Latino children from language minority families. Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 102(1), 20. Mol, S. E., and Bus, A. G. (2011). To read or not to read: A meta-analysis of print exposure from infancy to early adulthood. Psychological Bulletin , Vol. 137(2), 267. Sikora, J., Evans, M. D. R., and Kelley, J. (2019). Scholarly culture: How books in adolescence enhance adult literacy, numeracy and technology skills in 31 societies. Social Science Research , Vol. 77, 1–15. Worthy, J., and Roser, N. (2010). Productive sustained reading in a bilingual class. Revisiting Silent Reading: New Directions for Teachers and Researchers . Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 241–257.
As few as 20 books in the home helps students achieve higher levels of education.
A home library is as important as parental education and family income in predicting educational outcomes .
High-quality books outside of school is critical for striving readers and related to all children’s emergent reading skills . (Mol and Bus 2011) Building home libraries benefits minority students. Kim and Guryan (2010) argue that many “low- income Latino children from language minority families may fall behind in reading during summer vacation because of their limited access to books at home and limited opportunities to practice English with family members.” Studies have shown that access to print resources—board books, stories, and informational books—early on in a child’s development has both an immediate and long-term effect on their vocabulary, background knowledge, and comprehension skills . (Allington et al. 2010) Thirty minutes of independent reading a day positively transforms students’ attitudes toward reading . (Worthy and Roser 2010)
Scholastic publishes research-based print and digital literacy solutions that support both whole-class and small-group instruction as well as independent learning, with the ultimate goal of helping every student become a lifelong reader, writer, and thinker.
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4475-16 11/22
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