Stephen King once wrote, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” We couldn’t agree more. Sure, Rain has talented writers and creators, but we’re also lifelong learners who love the written word. For most of us, the love of reading started in childhood; from picture books to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, from Judy Blume to Tolkien, books revealed the magic of real and imagined worlds.
But not all kids have easy access to books. Literacy rates in the United States vary widely among different socio-economic communities, and disrupted learning during the COVID-19 pandemic devastated student reading performance through 2022.
How One Teacher Started a Movement
Cue Margaret McNamara. A former teacher, she founded Reading is Fundamental (RIF) in 1966 after she discovered that the children she tutored owned no books of their own. When she let the kids choose books to take home, she realized how a joy of reading drove reading choice, access, and engagement—all fundamental to a child’s literacy journey. Soon after, the RIF pilot program launched to provide free books to three elementary schools in Washington, D.C. Now, after nearly 60 years, RIF has reached over 190 million children by partnering with educators, families, and literary advocates to change the trajectory of a literary crisis that keeps kids from reaching their potential.
With support from federal government grants, private foundations, corporate sponsors, numerous First Ladies, celebrity endorsements, and scores of volunteers, RIF has worked to close the equity gap for kids by providing books and reading resources to communities across the U.S. Its mission has been to inspire the joy of reading in all kids, so they develop the foundation for opportunity no matter who they are, where they live, or their differences.
Not Just Books
Along with its flagship “Books for Ownership” program that lets children select new, age-appropriate books to take home and keep, RIF has an expansive menu of research-backed literacy programs (and even an eBook library) that allow parents, teachers, schools, and community literacy programs to create and reinforce a culture of language comprehension and the joy of reading.
Over its 58-year history, RIF has reached 91% of elementary schools, 52% of middle schools, and 76% of Title I schools in the U.S.
Showing Cause for the Joy of Reading
Rain’s Show Cause social responsibility effort for 2024 focuses on kids from birth to adulthood. Our team of wily wordsmiths, prolific penpushers, and savvy scribes is proud to support Reading is Fundamental this month. We gratefully celebrate the generous teachers and parents who bring the magic of reading to kids everywhere.
And for those of you, like me, who grew up at a time when there were fewer than ten channels on your television, maybe you’ll remember this: