June 29, 2016
Written by Dr. Terry Hemschik
Reading exercises children’s brains, opens doors to future success, and provides opportunities to discover our world and beyond. The love of reading is a lifelong asset. When young children have exciting, self-selected reading materials to build a personal home library, the joy of learning through reading is accelerated. As one small child said when learning he could take a book home, “That’s better than chocolate milk!”
The importance of reading has been a main focus throughout my career and became the impetus for starting Home Libraries 4 Kids. As a middle school literature teacher, seminar leader, and an online university instructor, my goal was to fortify reading skills and strategies so students would succeed at all levels and in all content areas.
To further this goal, I started Home Libraries 4 Kids (HL4K), an organization of volunteers who support reading for young children in Waukesha County. The target audience of book distribution is in communities where individual book ownership is nonexistent or minimal. Researchers support the need for home libraries to advance children’s success.
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County became a valuable partner to offer new and gently used books to children in Waukesha. Every Thursday throughout the summer, books are offered to children at Sentinel Park. The kick-off event was June 16th and each child selected one new book, one gently used book, and was able to listen to stories read by volunteers. The hearts of the corporate volunteers matched the smiles on the children’s faces.
Each week through August 18th, children can come to Sentinel Park in Waukesha to select their books. By the end of the summer, each child will own 10 exciting books for their home library!
Thanks to United Way for opening the door for children in Waukesha to grow in their love of reading. Creating connections between children and books is the best way to give back to any community!