MILWAUKEE — Our book campaign is a chance for you to help children in Milwaukee develop strong reading skills – which sets them up for success in high school, college and beyond.
Staff and clients at Next Door Milwaukee know just how important that early start can be. Keyona Turner and her 2-year-old daughter Skylor love to read, and Keyona says it’s a great way to start her daughter’s education.
“I just really hope it’s a way to just open up the world around her,” Keyona says. “It’s a big world that we live in, so just really learning and exploring her surroundings.”
Learning about the world – and yourself – is an important part of learning to read.
Tonya Hameister with Next Door Milwaukee says reading young is crucial to success throughout school. Starting young helps kids develop a foundation in vocabulary and comprehension.
“If we don’t develop that love for learning, those particular parts of literacy that are skill-based that we have to develop become difficult,” Hameister says.
Getting access to reading materials can be a big hurdle – especially for kids from low-income households. Next Door works hard to make sure kids share books at home because that’s one of the best predictors of future success at school. Children without books at home are four times less likely to graduate high school.
“Every child should have access to the highest quality children’s literature,” Hameister says. “We have to really think about reading as a fundamental part of life.”
For Keyona and Skylor, reading is a fundamental part of their day.
“Usually when we’re at home, she likes to sit in my lap or we’ll snuggle on the couch with the blanket,” Keyona says. “And we’ll read until bedtime usually. That’s our routine.”
They’re building a bond to last a lifetime.
Every five dollars buys a book for a deserving child in our community. If you’d like to donate and help students at Next Door MKE develop strong reading skills, head to our section of our website dedicated to the effort. You can also text 4BOOKS to 345-345.
