Building Young Readers
Spread the Word Nevada’s Readers in Training Program Nurtures Literacy from Birth
Most children learn to read at around six or seven years of age, but reading readiness actually begins at birth.
That’s why Spread the Word Nevada, a children’s literacy nonprofit based in Las Vegas, created the Readers in Training (RIT) program. While the organization’s main literacy programs focus on children from pre-k through fifth grade, RIT is aimed at establishing an early love of reading and increasing kindergarten readiness for kids aged five and under.
“A huge focus of this program is family engagement,” said Joleen Arnold, a grant writer for Spread the Word Nevada. “The family is a child’s first teacher. We want to instill a love of reading and curiosity, and to help children understand why reading is important.”
Spread the Word staff had been considering developing services for kids not yet in school for several years when COVID 19 hit, escalating their efforts.
“When everything shut down, and schools went to distance learning, we saw the little kids become very isolated,” said Arnold. “We were able to continue getting books to students, but the little kids weren’t getting any social development because they couldn’t get together for play dates or see their friends. We had one crisis on top of another crisis.”
A $5,000 grant from the Bower Fund in 2022 allowed Spread the Word to create a pilot program to expand services to reach that newer, younger age group. The pilot program served 70 kids for eight months, allowing the organization to develop and test programing and identify how to reach families.
“The Bower Fund is one of our founding donors and a cornerstone of this program,” said Arnold. “The impact of their gift goes beyond financial assistance; their confidence in our organization’s mission and vision was invaluable. Not all donors want to support something new and unestablished, so we are extremely grateful for their commitment.”
After the pilot program, the organization formally launched the Readers in Training program, with a goal of serving 250 kids and their families. The program has been so successful, they now have more than 600 participating kids, and have expanded the program into Pahrump and other rural areas.
And it’s about more than just reading.
“It’s not just about giving kids books,” said Arnold. “The program also includes skill-building and interaction. We do monthly gatherings and check-ins. It’s about building the family support system and establishing the importance of reading as a family.”
Children enrolled in the program receive one age-appropriate new book each month, virtual check-ins where families can interact and share successes, access to online content promoting early literacy and school readiness skills, and opportunities to participate in playgroups that help children develop the skills to become confident readers and successful students.
Parents with children in the program say they’ve seen a big difference in their child’s learning and development since joining the program.
“Before this program I didn’t understand the importance of pre-literacy, but now seeing how just in these six months reading to my child really helped her vocabulary expand,” said one parent.
Another parent noted, “I have learned how to engage my son more deeply and meaningfully while reading together. Such as reading through pictures, showing patterns, asking him questions about the book, and allowing him to read it himself after I read it to him.”
Families do have to meet income requirements to be eligible for the program, which focuses on the region’s low-income students.
“For a lot of these families, these can be the first books they own in their home,” said Arnold. “It builds a foundation for when they enter school and then can be connected with other programs to help them to continue to grow their home libraries.”
Once children in the program turn five, they move into the organization’s other school-based programs, including Kids to Kids, Breakfast/Snack Time with Books, and Books and Buddies.
Since 2001, Spread the Word Nevada has distributed 7.2 million books, and served 1.1 million students. For more information on Readers in Training, head to Spread the Word Nevada’s website.
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