OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — It's called the Nebraska Growing Readers Program, and since it launched in October of 2023, it has distributed over 885,000 books to nearly 38,000 kids aged 3 to 5.
- An evaluation done by the Nebraska Children’s Research Team and the Munroe Meyer Institute shows that an increase in access to books had a ripple effect.
- The Nebraska Department of Education invested $2 million into the program after seeing a gap in literacy development among kids from birth to age five.
- The evaluation found that just 15 minutes of reading a day can make a difference.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
We all know that reading is a huge part of early learning, but for many kids, access to books hasn't always been easy. That's why a statewide program is working to change that by putting more books into more hands, and now, it's starting to pay off.
It's called the Nebraska Growing Readers Program, and since it launched in October of 2023, it has distributed over 885,000 books to nearly 38,000 kids aged 3 to 5. That includes books given to Nayeli Rojas' two and five-year-old children.
Are they able to kind of read or at least look through the picture books?
"Oh yes, Alondra likes reading to her brother. She sits with him on the couch and makes up her own little stories while showing him the pictures,” said Rojas.
The Nebraska Department of Education invested $2 million into the program after seeing a gap in literacy development among kids from birth to age five.
"To be honest with you, we see it everywhere in the state of Nebraska. There isn't one area that's more pronounced than another. Quite frankly, there are pockets in every community, large and small, east and west, that need access to literature,” said Brian Maher, commissioner of education.
After the completion of the program's first full year in 2024, an evaluation done by the Nebraska Children’s Research Team and the Munroe Meyer Institute shows that an increase in access to books had a ripple effect. With more books at home and at early childcare centers, kids were reading more and more consistently.
The evaluation found that just 15 minutes of reading a day can make a difference, and it's something early childcare teacher Erin Pietryga has seen firsthand.
"I think the rewarding part is just seeing them grow every day. I get to see them in the classroom and just build up confidence in who they are and just seeing them grow,” said Pietryga.
The Department of Education plans to continue the program and is now seeking more funding now that the pilot program is complete.
The goal? To make sure every kid in Nebraska can read a little bit better tomorrow than they read today.
