Reading scores in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District have steadily declined since 2019, according to district data. Students are now reading 2.61 grade levels below the national average, compared to 1.67 below in 2019. That’s nearly a full grade-level drop in just five years.
Teachers say access to books at home can help close that gap.
“Recent trends based off the pandemic have shown that literacy has been in a decline,” said fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Cruz. “But when they get that book in their hands, it sparks a joy in reading.”
Cruz has seen the difference firsthand.
“Students who have books at home come in with ideas, they’re creative, versus students who don’t, who need more guidance to understand how a story works,” she said.
That’s where KSBY and the Scripps Howard Fund's If You Give a Child a Book campaign comes in, providing free books to schools, including Bonita and Arellanes elementary schools in Santa Maria.
For sixth grader Jorge Amaya, the impact is personal.
“My favorite book was 'Fly Guy' in kindergarten,” he said. “We got it at the book fair for free, and that was my first time having a book that was just mine.”
The program also provides books in Spanish, which educators say helps families read together at home.
“They have access to books not only in English but also in Spanish, which is great because even if they read in Spanish, their literacy skills are building upon that,” said fifth-grade teacher Elizabeth Cabrera.
For students like Vidia Ortiz, books aren’t just fun, they’re essential.
“It’s important because they can get smarter, they can have many, many words, and really achieve in ELA if you’re reading books,” Ortiz said.
Teachers say they hope programs like If a Child a Book continue to grow, helping children build home libraries and fostering a lifelong love of reading.
To donate to If You Give a Child a Book, click here. Just $12 will purchase two new books. The free books will be available to students at four local Title I schools later in the school year.
To view reading proficiency data for Santa Maria-Bonita and other California school districts, click here.
