LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — Excitement was in the air at Avocado Elementary School as nearly one hundred first and second graders gathered for a special story time event this month. After listening to a story, each student was given the chance to pick out five books to take home.
The goal is to ensure students have plenty of reading material, especially with summer vacation just around the corner. Cajon Valley Union Elementary School District wants to help its over 16,000 students avoid the 'summer slide' by keeping them reading.
The Love of Reading
Principal Joy Delgallego emphasized the importance of children having access to books in their own homes.
"We just want them to find the love of reading and really enjoy reading and become passionate, getting the right book in their hands so that they want to read more and more," Delgallego said. "Building their own library at home so that they have books that are there for them whenever they want, especially as we are leading up to summer right now. And having books at home for the summer is just so important for our kids.”
A Reader's Perspective
The message of encouragement resonated with the young students, who are already seeing the benefits of their efforts. When one student was asked if she was a good reader, she responded with confidence "Yeah!"
"I really have been practicing reading, and I just got better and better with these books," she shared. "The most important message here is just to keep reading.”
Storytime is funded through partnerships with the Scripps Howard Fund, the San Diego Council on Literacy, and North Island Credit Union. For more information or to see other schools that have been part of the program, click here.
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