Did you know that millions of American kids don’t have a single book at home? What would Dr. Seuss say about that? Watch to learn how Save the Children is working in more than 200 rural communities across America, where resources are scarce, to help tens of thousands of children every year.

Helping kids read across America

Read Across America Day, an annual reading motivation and awareness program initiated by the National Education Association, calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2. It’s no coincidence that March 2 is also the birthday of Dr. Seuss, a celebrated children’s author whose books continue to inspire and delight readers young and old. 

Save the Children knows that fostering a love of learning early on is key to improving literacy in America and ensuring our children’s success in school and life. That’s why we offer effective school-based child literacy programs to children living in poverty right here in the United States. Our child literacy programs and expanded curriculum in science and math help elementary school children across the country from kindergarten through sixth grade stay on track developmentally and grow as readers and learners. Here is the story of two such students. 

Five-year-old Preston isn’t too sure if he’d ever eat green eggs and ham, but he is certain the Dr. Seuss classic that features this peculiar food pairing is his favorite.

“My favorite book is ‘Green Eggs and Ham,’” he said. “I like books that are funny,”

These days, the east Kentucky kindergartner is confident in the letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds. This wasn’t the case at the start of the school year, however, when he was struggling to develop his early literacy skills. But with the help of Save the Children’s in-school literacy program, his abilities are growing every day.

“Letters are the most important thing I have learned this year,” Preston said. “I hardly knew any of them when school started.”

He can also now identify rhyming words, and is articulating words more clearly when he speaks.

Preston is one of thousands of kids across America that Save the Children’s literacy programs are supporting every day, strengthening their literacy skills to help ensure they have the best possible start in life. In fact, our latest research shows that 4 in 5 or 82% of children experienced major improvement after participating in our literacy programs. Children participating in our literacy program made reading growth equivalent to attending 7 additional months of school, according to our latest findings.

This includes children like 9-year-old Kaley from eastern Tennessee, who was reading at least a grade level below her peers when she started second grade last school year. Now in third grade – and in her third year participating in Save the Children’s in-school literacy program – she’s caught up to her peers in reading, and loves to read on her own.

“I like to read books about dogs and cats,” Kaley said.

Dr. Seuss has those topics covered too.

Because of you, America’s most vulnerable children are reading – and succeeding. Learn more about Save the Children’s education programs in the U.S.