Nevada is the fifth-worst U.S. state regarding literacy rates, according to stats from World Population Review. Courtney Vogt, Northern Nevada director for the statewide literacy group Spread the Word Nevada, said that during the COVID pandemic, many young children fell even further behind in reading.
The group—with offices in Reno, Las Vegas and Elko—is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a Community Book Drive. From April 1-30, they will be seeking monetary donations and book donations at several locations in the Truckee Meadows, with the goal of funding 2,500 home libraries. (A “library” is a stack of eight books for a child to keep.) They’re currently seeking business to sponsor or participate in the drive. The event will culminate in a celebration event at America First Credit Union in Sparks on May 1.
To learn more, visit spreadthewordnevada.org, or email cvogt@stwn.org.
What does Nevada’s literacy crisis look like at the moment?
Right now, only about 28% of students in fourth-grade are reading at grade level statewide. Washoe County—we’re a little bit higher. We’re at about 42%. What happens is, when the students can’t read at grade level, they’re unable to complete their homework. They’re unable to do the things that they need to do in order to grow and be successful in the future. It’s really impactful, even on their adult life, when they are behind. And we don’t really give them that opportunity to catch up once they are behind in that grade.
Tell me about the solutions that Spread the Word Nevada brings to schools.
One of our major initiatives is making sure that kids have access to books within their homes and also that they get to choose those books so that they’re excited about reading. … When they get a book that they get to own, it just gets them excited. It brings them confidence. It brings them joy.
What books are resonating with students right now?
The older kids are definitely into the graphic novels. You’ll see Baby-Sitters Club, but in a graphic novel format; Goosebumps; Diary of a Wimpy Kid. They really love those illustrated books. … They can actually really help with that literacy component.
In addition to the work that Spread the Word Nevada is doing, what else needs to happen to improve Nevada’s literacy rate?
Really making sure that families know how important it is to engage your child in books and to read to your children. I think that’s huge. … If they’re Spanish-speaking, read to them in Spanish. It doesn’t matter; read them in whatever language you speak. It makes a huge difference. … And one-on-one time in schools, if they do fall behind, is super important so that we can make sure that they’re caught up and they can be successful moving forward.
How do students react when you give them their own books?
The kids get so excited. For one, they always ask, “Do I get to keep this?” because they’re not used to being able to keep it. Then, a lot of times, instead of going and playing soccer, we find them sitting on the playground reading with groups of friends. It’s pretty inspiring to see the difference that it makes—just them being able to have a book that they can call their own and that they’re excited about.
What else should people know about your work?
I think some people don’t realize that when you can’t read a sign on a door or a text message that it can make your day really hard, or you can’t apply for a job, or different things like that. … When children do know how to read, it impacts our community—not just today, but in the future.