Why Participate in ABC?
Unfortunately, whether at home or in school, many children lack access to books and their reading skills suffer dramatically. Statistics show that childhood illiteracy is becoming a serious problem:
A good first step is to provide children with books that they can call their own. The All Books for Children Holiday Book Buy is a nationwide attempt to give deserving children the chance to read, learn, and develop into healthy, independent adults by giving them these books.
HROUGH reading, children develop imagination, self-confidence, and dreams for the future. Reading is a fundamental building block in every child's journey to adulthood and self-sufficiency. And it's essential to expose kids to books early in life; research predicts that children who see books during their first five years will become strong readers in the future.
40 percent of fourth graders show reading deficiencies.
From 1992 to 1996, more than 1.6 million children between the ages of 16 and 24 did not finish high school.
40 percent of public elementary schools do not have librarians.
Kids who don't have access to books can't develop the reading skills and the love of learning they'll need as adults. The statistics for adult literacy in our country are shocking:
More than 21 percent of adults in the United States are functionally illiterate, meaning that they read at or below a third-grade level. Illiteracy hinders them from securing employment, unleashing their own creativity, or reading with their children. But steps can be taken to build a strong foundation for literacy in our communities.
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