Experts tell Fox 4 reading provides an escape for kids; especially children who may not have the best home situations.
Fox 4 is owned by E.W. Scripps, and every year for “National Reading Day,” our company’s charitable organization, the Scripps Howard Foundation, commits to raising money to put books in the hands of kids in need through our "If you give a child a book..." Campaign.
“National Reading Day” is in January, but Fox 4 is raising money now to make sure these kids get the books they need and deserve. Studies show kids who grow up with books in their homes have a major advantage over children who do not.
Books provide kids with entertainment away from technology.
“It takes you on an adventure. You get to go to different places, you get to see different characters. And sometimes, you may not have been there before. So it's something that's really cool just to be able to experience the world through book,” Brie Babyak, a teacher at Franklin Park Elementary School in Fort Myers, said.
Dr. Elizabeth Elliott, a professor of Early Childhood at Florida Gulf Coast University, said a book can also help a child develop an interest and dive in.
“Whether it's animals, whether it's sports, whether it's the excitement of a particular series when they're in middle school, and they learn about a particular series of reading books and learning about adventures,” she said.
You never know what a child may be going through, and books can provide that child with a way to escape their daily struggles.
“Maybe something’s going on in the household and they want to just go get lost in a book. I could totally see that happening. And I definitely escape in books. It's such a wonderful thing. You get to go to different places. And kids, when they feel good, they do better, and when they're able to read, they're going to obviously do better,” Ms. Babyak said.
If you’d like to donate, click here. All donations will help kids in Southwest Florida.
