Literacy For All Children
“A house without books is like a room without windows. No man has the right to bring up children without surrounding them with books. Children learn to read by being in the presence of books.”
Horace Mann 1796 – 1859
Core Values
With unswerving commitment, we hold these principles:
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Reading is not a gift we should give to children, it is a right that we owe them.
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Having books in one’s home is the first step toward becoming literate.
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We cannot guarantee that if children have books of their own in their homes they will indeed read. However, we can absolutely guarantee that if they have no books of their own in their homes they will not read.
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The 2001 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study stated that having books in children’s homes was a significant predictor of children’s reading success. Children need their own age appropriate books in their own homes.
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Owning one’s own books should not be related to any factor such as race, gender, wealth, neighborhood, school, region or age. Owning one’s own books is a birthright of all children: their journey into literacy.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free”.
Fredrick Douglass
