Books for Kids – Reading for All

The Reading Tub, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its 2007 Community Literacy Project. Thanks to a generous donation from Exit Studio of Arlington, Virginia, The Reading Tub can move forward with its One Letter at a Time project. With this project, the literacy charity seeks to bring books to children who, due to socio-economic or cultural barriers, do not have new books all their own to read and share with their families.

[ClickPress, Wed Jun 20 2007] The Reading Tub, Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its 2007 Community Literacy Project. One Letter at a Time is a project that seeks to bring books to children who, due to socio-economic or cultural barriers, do not have new books all their own to read and share with their families.

"The One Letter at a Time initiative can begin thanks to the generous donation of Exit Studio of Arlington, VA," said Terry Doherty, President of the Reading Tub, Inc. "We hope that this donation will encourage others to participate in this project. As we like to say: if don't help kids learn to read, who will be reading your next book?"

Study after study has shown the direct link between early reading with a child and that child’s later success in school, and ultimately life. Still, not everyone has access to the materials they need to "practice" this skill. "While borrowing or purchasing a book may be very easy for some children to get, that isn't true for every home," continues Doherty. "Community studies and literacy statistics suggest that we still have communities who are unconnected from the resources many of us take for granted." This is particularly true in communities where English is not the native language. The Reading Tub, Inc. recognizes that literacy transcends culture, and has designed the One Letter at a Time initiative to build on reading skills in both English and Spanish. "Parental modeling is so important, so it is important to help parents feel comfortable reading with their children." By offering bilingual books and books in Spanish, the Reading Tub, Inc. believes it can encourage family reading with materials that are suitable for homes so everyone can learn together. The One Letter at a Time Initiative will pair a book and a practical, one-page Reading Guide that will be given to families free of charge.

"We aren’t born readers. We learn to read by doing it every day," says Doherty. "It really is no different than any other thing our kids like to do. To play basketball or piano or paint at a proficient level takes practice. But unlike sports and hobbies, everyone needs to learn to read."

Exit Studio, created by artist, author, and cultural advocate Edwin Fontanez, is donating twenty books published by the company. On this Beautiful Island (2004) is now complemented by a Spanish edition, En Esta Hermosa Isla . In the books, recommended for children ages 6 and older, readers can explore Taíno culture with Guanín, a young Taíno boy, and his beloved parrot Tahite. En Esta Hermosa Isla which was named a 2006 Book of the Year Finalist by Foreword Magazine, also includes a CD with original music.

The Reading Tub, Inc. is a public charity dedicated to children's and family literacy. Its Website provides in-depth, content-driven profiles for children’s books so parents, grandparents, and teachers (including home-schooling families) have the information they need to select quality books for children and, ultimately, encourage children to expand their own horizons through reading. The Reading Tub® Website also features information about and links to other resources about literacy for parents and teachers who are working with children struggling with reading. One Letter at a Time is a direct service initiative that combines a gift book for each participating child AND critical, parent/guardian-friendly information which will give those caregivers critical information for interacting with and learning with their child, especially as it relates to emergent literacy.

To learn more about The Reading Tub, Inc. and the One Letter at a Time Project visit the Reading Tub® Web site.

Visit Exit Studio (http://www.exitstudio.com) to purchase the books, explore other activities to help bring learning to life, and discover some of the other things going on with Edwin Fontanez.

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