Nearly half of California’s fourth-graders read below the basic level, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. At that level, a child is unlikely to figure out the meaning of a familiar word from the surrounding phrase.
Children get better at reading by reading, and that requires having books within reach. In recognition of International Literacy Day that was held on Sept. 8, the World Literacy Foundation is asking Los Angeles residents to help provide those much-needed books.
Through its One Book at a Time campaign, the foundation is inviting Angelenos to donate $10, enough to buy one book for one child. Their goal is to donate books to 500,000 children.
To help spread their message, Rory Baskin, a student at Marlborough School in LA who works at a bookshop, was named a youth ambassador for the foundation, one of 900 ambassadors chosen from 101 countries around the world. She is featured in a video to draw attention to the campaign and encourage others across LA to participate.
Rory became an avid reader because her teachers gave her books, one at a time, over years. The stack is still in her bedroom. She now hopes others will embrace reading in the same way – by receiving the gift of books.
“Reading has shaped every meaningful connection in my life,” Rory said. “Now, working in a bookshop, I get to pass that on by connecting readers with their next favourite story. There is no gift more valuable than a book, except for the gift of literacy itself.”
The concerning figures about global literacy:
Twenty-nine percent of California fourth-graders read at or above a proficient level, and 44% read below the basic level. (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2024)
Nationally, the percentage of fourth-graders reading below the basic level is the largest since 2002, and the gap is widening: between 2019 and 2024, the lowest-performing readers fell 10 points while the highest-performing fell one point. (NAEP)
Worldwide, 739 million adults cannot read or write. (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Seventy percent of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple written text. (World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF)
“A single book can spark curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of reading,” said Andrew Kay, CEO of World Literacy Foundation. “It is one of the simplest and most powerful gifts we can give a child.”
Donors can select the region where they would like to donate a book by going to: www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/international-literacy-day.