BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign is officially underway in partnership with the Scripps Howard Foundation and Scholastic.
One of the main goals of the campaign is to further provide students access to diverse reading materials free of charge.
"Children need to see themselves reflected in the stories they read," said Charlin Riccio, the librarian at Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center. "When kids see characters who look like them, come from similar backgrounds or share their experiences, it validates their identity and helps them to feel seen, values and understood."
You can learn more information on the "If You Give a Child a Book" campaign on our website here.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley spent some time at the Makowski School Thursday meeting with the principal, students, and a special education teacher.
“When students have the ability to pick books that they're engaged in, then they're more likely to want to read,” Kathleen Sciolino, principal, Makowski School.
Sciolino said when books were delivered from 7 News last January it was “phenomenal” because it helped put books into the hands of more than 650 students.
"And this impacts them because it's going to help to build that reading independence, which is one of the things that we're working on here,” Sciolino noted.
And for special needs children the book campaign helped encourage them to read as well.
“Tell me why you like reading?” Buckley asked.
“It makes me smart,” declared Niaja, third grader.
“How about you sir -- why do you like reading?” Buckley questioned.
“Because I get to experience new things,” replied Antoine, third grader.
Niaja and Antoine are both enrolled in special education classes at the Makowski school. They want you to know why it's so important for them to have these books.
"You get to experience new things for having books, and you get to see different stuff that people have, and they don't have and then people can be creative,” Antoine said.
"People can get smarter with their book,” Niaja remarked.
Special Education Teacher Katie Fabi teaches students with a range of disabilities how to read.
“They may not be on grade level with their other peers, however, they still have the interests of the same peers, so when you can reach those students and get them up to grade level, and they're reading and they're confident. Their confidence soars across the grade level,” Fabi explained.
Principal Scilino encourages all of you to give to our book campaign to help open a world of reading to our city kids.
On Thursday morning, we also spoke to Kathy Busch Stanley, assistant principal at the Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center. You can watch our full report below.
