Thursday marks day four of KSBY's first "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign. The campaign is raising money that will go towards brand new books for Arellanes Elementary School students.
For some, reading doesn't come easy and not everyone develops a love of it from a young age. Janice Kelsey, a reading intervention teacher at Grover Beach Elementary School says encouraging students to read starts with allowing them to choose a book they're interested in. Kelsey says this will help students develop a relationship with books and even allow them to see reading as pleasure instead of as a task or homework.
Kelsey emphasized that for students to improve reading comprehension, parents can ask their students questions about what they're reading.
"Students not only need to know how to read the words, they need to be able to explain their understanding of the story, those two things go together," Kelsey said, "So when parents ask students, 'Hey what's that book about,' they're really helping that student to develop their comprehension skills and their speaking skills so they can show their understanding about what they're reading. "
Since students are doing distance learning and spending more time learning on tablets and laptops, Kelsey also suggests breaking up screen time by reading. She says reading a book that's in a student's hands versus reading a story online can be more interactive and help with developing that relationship with reading.
Now through Friday, community members can donate to the "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign. The Scripps Howard Foundation will be matching the first $5,000 donated. To donate, click here.
