Encouraging reading through book ownership
Putting books in children’s hands is the first step in sparking a love of reading, a fundamental skill for lifelong learning, and Beverly De Ford, librarian at B.H. Macon Elementary School is trying to do so by holding her second Free Book Fair at the school a week before International Literacy Day.
“Putting books in kids’ hands is the first step in getting them to want to read for enjoyment and become lifelong readers,” De Ford said. “This can lead to personal and academic success.”
Research indicates that even just 15 minutes of reading can significantly improve academic success, sharpen comprehension skills, hone memory, and build a stronger vocabulary. Some households, however, can’t afford to buy many books, De Ford said. The book fair aims to help families start building a personal library for children so books can be a regular part of their lives.
“I think that’s why book giveaways in the library are so important to revitalize these areas and help children keep up,” De Ford said. “Statistically, the number of books they have access to at home can correlate with how well they do in school.”
During the event, first graders stood in line, listening to the Book Drive for Kids volunteer explain that they could each select two books from an array of carefully curated non-fiction and fiction titles in both English and Spanish. The students dashed from table to table, speaking enthusiastically about the books and deciding which one they would read first. De Ford wandered among them, stopping to look at their selections and offering suggestions. At one table stood Derrick Chance, director of co-sponsor Dallas Children’s Charities, handing out bookplates for students to personalize their books while other volunteers, including parents, handed out bookmarks and an additional reading practice book to each child.
Principal Jennifer Husband said the book fair aligns with Macon’s mission of promoting reading. The school, which recently rose from an F to a B in the Texas Education Agency’s ratings, is now requiring all students, starting with prekindergarten, to maintain a daily reading log.
“Every kid has an opportunity to receive free books to practice reading,” Husband said, “because if they can’t read, then that doesn’t help them in math and science. Everything feeds off their ability to read.”
Husband said that engaging students in reading, writing, and discussion led to an increase in their reading scores, reflected in the school’s rating.
“Reading opens the mind, writing shapes our thoughts, and discussion brings ideas to life—together, they empower us to learn, connect, and grow,” Husband said. “This is what we strive to do with our students.”
De Ford said she was excited about the Free Book Fair, which she brought to the Pleasant Grove school after partnering with Book Drive for Kids and its executive director, Michelle Cook, every year since 2022, when De Ford was the librarian at Bayles Elementary School in the Bryan Adams High School vertical team. Book Drive for Kids—which donates new and gently used books to schools with a student population that is 70% or more economically disadvantaged—also has held Free Book Fairs in six out of the 10 elementary schools in the Bryan Adams community.
De Ford doesn’t just hold book fairs to reinforce the habit of reading in her students. She regularly conducts read-alouds, encourages students to read different genres, including biographies and poetry, and even incorporates Legos and robots into her lessons.
“If I can teach them how to problem solve and think things through, no matter what technology the future brings, they’ll be able to manage it,” she said.
