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November 13, 2008
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Many low-income families in North Texas do not own a single book, according to Valeria Gallardo, literacy coordinator for the University of North Texas Success for Life Through Reading program.
Dr. George Morrison, an early childhood education professor at the University of North Texas, created Success for Life Through Reading to give the gift of reading and book ownership to North Texas' youngest residents. The literacy project is a branch of the general Success for Life program, which Morrison designed to help preschool age children gain the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed in school and life.
"The Success for Life staff sat down and discussed what one thing we could do to most help children. We all agreed that we needed to help them learn how to read," said Morrison. "I believe that by the time that children enter kindergarten, they should be familiar with at least 100 good children's books. So then, the question becomes: how do we make that happen?"
Several members of the UNT community recognized the value of Morrison's program. The Center for Public Service in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service offered to coordinate volunteer recruiting for the literacy portion of the program, which features student volunteers going into the community to preschools and child care facilities to share the gift of reading.
"The College of Public Affairs and Community Service was quick to pick up on the program, and it has been a great, collaborative effort ever since," said Morrison.
The student volunteers, who come from a number of disciplines across the UNT campus, adopt a class at one of seven sites in Denton County. The volunteers then read a new book to their classes once a week. After the volunteers read their books, they give each student a new book to take home, so that they can go home and practice their reading skills with their families. The volunteers also teach the students lessons that correspond with the books that they are reading.
Gallardo estimates that the program has donated more than 6,000 books to low-income children in Denton County since the Success for Life program began. During the spring 2008 semester, 1,026 books were distributed among 343 children. This semester, the program is reaching 622 students.
Gallardo actively recruits volunteers from the College of Education, the College of Public Affairs and Community Service and the College of Arts and Sciences, though she says that students from other programs are welcome to join the effort, and many do.
Gallardo said that an emphasis is being put on recruiting students that speak Spanish or students that are enrolled in UNT's Spanish courses, since many of the children that the program serves do not speak English. Special education students and students who know sign language also are encouraged to volunteer. This semester, 41 students are donating their time to the project.
"I decided to join Success for Life through Reading because I love reading, and I want all children to have that opportunity," said Brooke Teeter, a junior interdisciplinary studies major who has been volunteering since spring 2008. "The most rewarding part is seeing the children's faces when I read to them and get them involved with the story."
This semester the program is struggling to keep enough books on the shelves to cover all of the children that they serve. In previous years, books have been donated by the College of Education grants, the Denton Benefit League and the Denton Kiwanis Club, but as the program has expanded to include more children, the stock of books is dwindling. If the program does not have enough books to give one to each student, then the UNT student volunteers have to resort to leaving one book per class.
In order to best serve Denton's children, the program is requesting donations from community members. Monetary donations can be submitted in the form of a check made payable to the University of North Texas. Checks can be mailed to:
University of North Texas
Literacy -
Office of Devolopment
P.O. Box 311250
Denton, TX 76203
Books also can be donated, but Gallardo asks that if donors send books, they should send a set of at least 23 new books. The program emphasizes the idea of ownership with the students; each book is stamped with the phrase "just for you." Books can be mailed to the above address or delivered to the Success for Life through Reading office in Room 238A of Chilton Hall, which is located on the corner of Chestnut and Avenue C. For more information about how to donate to the Success for Life Through Reading program call Tena Burley, director of development for the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, at 940-369-8208.
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