Editor’s Note: K is for Kids no longer operates as a nonprofit organization. This website continues in order to showcase its work with children of all ages and to help inspire others who are impassioned to do the same. Click here to read more: https://kisforkids.org/news/k-is-for-kids-writes-new-chapter/

 

K is for Kids Foundation was launched in 2008 with an emphasis on boosting the inventory of books in school libraries throughout Collier County.

In Sept 2011, its Rising Readers program was born when K is for Kids Founder and Executive Director Karen D. Clawson met Golden Terrace Elementary-Intermediate School Media Specialist Tiffany “TJ” Weeks and learned about the pep rally TJ was leading at the start of the school year to get students fired up about reading. Inspired by her efforts, K is for Kids sponsored the rally and offered to donate a brand new book to each student that took a reading pledge. Unique to the program is that each child would get to personally choose their new book handpicked by TJ for their reading interest and relevance.

 

Rising Readers evolved quickly and that spring the first students were recognized as their school’s top rising readers and received K is for Kids book awards. Golden Terrace Elementary became and remained the program’s focus school.  

About the program: The Rising Readers program helps encourage students (as well as children in nonprofit organizations) to read more and to recognize their reading achievements when they have reached the reading goals set by their media specialists, teachers and/or principals through the school’s own reading incentive programs. Depending on the school and program, students may earn books throughout the school year to take home and keep; and, depending on their performance, earn special “book awards” before winter break — giving students new books to read over the holidays — and at the end of the school year (see below).

How it works: In Collier County Public Schools, particularly in elementary schools, two reading programs are promoted, Reading Counts and Sunshine State Young Reader Award Books (or SSYRA). Students may earn and personally select a new book donated by K is for Kids when they reach a certain number of points with Reading Counts or after reading a certain number of books of SSYRA — goals that are set by their teachers. When the students earn a book, they may go to their school library to choose amongst books their media specialist has personally selected from K is for Kids’ inventory of books or with grant monies the foundation provides through Rising Readers.

Bonus: Students’ self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-accomplishment soar as they earn books to take home and keep and build their own personal libraries. And each time the young honorees sees their book(s), they feel proud of the treasures they are collecting and awards they are earning.

So often children talk about how much they love getting “real” books that they can see, touch, and even smell.  One young boy said he liked getting to read eBooks on the iPad the school provides for his use during the school year, but when he has to turn in the iPad, he said, “I loose all those books I’ve read! I’d much rather have ‘real’ books I get to keep.”

 

End-of-the-Year Top Rising Reader Book Awards:

In 2017, thousands of students in 32* Collier County public schools were honored with book awards as their school’s “top” rising readers – books the young honorees got to choose themselves with the help of their teacher or media specialist.

K is for Kids Top Rising Reader Book Awards  is the foundation’s most popular reading program with teachers, principals, parents and, of course, the young honorees!

In May, after competing — or rather, reading — all school year to be the top rising readers at their school, students anxiously await to hear the results.

If successful, some of the young honorees will get to go on a special field trip to Barnes & Noble in Naples to shop for their books. This is often a life changing experience for the kids, as most have never been to a book store.  Afterwards, the youngsters may enjoy a complimentary lunch, courtesy of California Pizza Kitchen!

Other students get to shop online for their books with the help of their teacher, then get to participate in a special awards assembly at the school. New books, medals, certificates, ribbons and refreshments add to the excitement. For most of these young honorees, this is the first time they will receive an award and parents often ask if they may come witness that magic moment when the child’s name is called, he or she walks up on stage, receives their book awards and commendation(s) and the principal shakes their hand.

More about Rising Readers

Golden Terrace Elementary continues to be the focus school for Rising Readers and the results have proven remarkable:  Both TJ at Intermediate and Joyce Cordell at Primary continue to report the empowering impact K is for Kids is having on their students listing a heightened interest in reading, higher student lexile levels, larger numbers of students participating in the school’s reading incentive programs, and a dramatic increase in the number of books being checked out by students.  These achievements are even more significant because many of the children are from families where English is not the first language spoken in the home, and the children may often struggle with not only speaking English, but reading it.  Also, as the majority of children are enrolled in a lunch assistance program, books are not a luxury their parents can afford to buy; thus the children often think books are boring – they “have to” read a textbook and there’s usually a test next! 

In Jan. 2013, to launch K is for Kids’ “Bring a Book, Bring a Friend” literacy month, the Foundation arrived at the school with a bookmobile and every student got to climb onboard and choose a new book to take home and keep.

That year, K is for Kids’ end-of-the-year Top Rising Readers Book Awards was expanded too with a field trip of GTES Intermediate’s top readers to Waterside Shops’Barnes & Noble, California Pizza Kitchen, and even the Apple store:  https://kisforkids.org/uncategorized/top-readers-enjoy-unique-field-trip-to-apple-store-more/

The number of schools participating also continued to grow.  For ex., students at Sabal Palm Elementary were also recognized as Top Readers in 2013 recognizing their achievements in the school’s Scholar Bowl. Students received their books during their Literacy on the Lawn event: Florida Gulf Coast University (aka “Dunk City”) Men’s Basketball player Eric McKnight appeared on behalf of K is for Kids to congratulate winners of the “battle of the books”:  https://kisforkids.org/news/dunk-citys-eric-mcknight-meets-with-students-at-sabal-palm-elementary/

 

Encouraging Rising Readers served by other nonprofits, too.