Federal Funding for Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is Cut

Federal funding for Reading is Fundamental, the nonprofit organization that provides books and literacy materials to 16.5 million children age birth to 8 every year, has been cut in the 2009 federal budget. This is a huge loss. If we're to compete in a global economy, all our children must be given the best reading resources at the earliest age possible. To let your congress person and the president know how you feel, go here. I just clicked through and it took about 3 minutes to send an email.

Comments

[Kiki]

Shameful! The sad thing is, so many adults don't even read these days! I bet in my girls' 5th and 6th grade classes, less than 10% read for the pleasure and joy of it.

That is a shame, but with our vast (government funded) public school system, and library system, in this country, not to mention publicly supported colleges in every state...does the government also need to fund separate reading programs? Why can't RIF become part of an existing system's outreach? Let's spend LESS money in government, not more, to duplicate services. Reading is Fundamental, yes. I think existing schools and libraries should be enough to accomplish RIF's goals, and if they aren't, WHY NOT? Let's fix the schools, not add on remedial social programs.

[Book Club Girl]

I agree that we need to fix the schools, but we must acknowledge that the quality of schools across this country and its many socio-economic divides will never be equal and I think that RIF fills an essential gap. If you've ever seen an inner city school, you know what I mean. But I don't want to turn this post and comments thread into a political debate. I put this forward for people to be informed and to do something if they want to.

[Kiki]

I believe RIF often makes up for parents who are lacking in education themselves, and don't have the time, money, transportation and/or inclination to take their children to a public library.

[Book Club Girl]

Kiki, this article by Kay McSpadden, author of Notes from a Classroom, illustrates your point exactly: http://www.charlotte.com/409/v-print/story/527216.html

[Layla Wright-Contreras]

Help save RIF's funding. Keep an eye out for new action alerts on www.RIF.org --

[Kay McSpadden]

Book Club Girl,
Thank you for linking my C.O. article to your blog. RIF's annual costs are miniscule compared to the payoff in student achievement. A book in a child's hand is worth two on the library shelf.

[Jenne]

Hi BCG,
I hope you don't mind but I let my other favorite blogger know about your RIF post. Barbara Vey writes a blog called Beyond Her Book for Publishers Weekly and I thought she would be interested. Here is the link that links back to your post (if that makes any sense at all). I love both of your blogs and I thought the save the RIF funding was important enough to be written about many times over.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/1830023183.html