MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — Summer breaks can cause learning gaps for students, but KXXV and KRHD are helping students in Central Texas neighborhoods to turn the page on their learning habits.
- Almost 300 students at West Avenue Elementary received six books to take home for the summer for free.
- KXXV and KRHD employees give to the Scripps Howard Fund every year — that’s money and books that stay within local school districts.
- Waco ISD is 90 percent economically disadvantaged, and these fresh new pages will keep students from falling behind in their reading.
BROADCAST SCRIPT:
“Can I please bring my dragon to the last day of school,” said a group of students from West Avenue Elementary.
While dragons may have to stay home from school, there’s something else that can stay at home too.
KXXV and KRHD employees give to the Scripps Howard Fund every year — that’s money and books that stay within Central Texas school districts.
“Then I got 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Drainer',” Pattie Turner said.
West Avenue Elementary librarian Leslie Rowe has hosted hundreds of book fairs, and quite often sees students leave empty handed, but at this book fair, students got to choose six free books to take home and start their very own library.
“It just opens up the world — it begins an adventure for them," Rowe said.
"The more that they know and the more that they learn, the more they’re exposed to, it begins that adventure for them, and that’s where it starts — one word at a time."
Wendy Sledd with Waco ISD says that their student population is 90 percent economically disadvantaged, and these fresh new pages will help students like Pattie Turner from falling behind in their reading.
“Some of these are chapter books, and I like chapter books because I learn new words and can read more,” Turner said.
“Channel 25 has provided an opportunity to level the playing field for all students — all students can come in and get books, there’s no financial barrier — Channel 25 and its employees have taken that away," Sledd said.
"It makes every kid equal."
To keep their students reading, Waco ISD has a couple different initiatives their implementing this summer.
One is "Camp Read-a-Lot, where students can document 20 minutes of reading each day through a reading log, and they’ll be given a prize when they return to school.
Before school is out, students will be sent home with fifth or sixth additional books in their reading level.
