Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF), in partnership with the Tennessee
Department of Education (TDOE), will join Jackson-Madison County School District leaders to celebrate Opportunities with Literacy (OWL) Fest at Lincoln Elementary on Monday, Sept. 25.
OWL Fest is a curated bookstore and shopping experience, supported by federal funding to promote literacy in Priority schools statewide, including two schools in Jackson-Madison County School District.
At the event, over 400 Pre-K through 5th grade students will have the opportunity to select books to take home, at no cost to families or schools.
“Through OWL Fest, we are bringing a book shopping experience, without the cost barrier, to students who may not have this kind of opportunity, said James Pond, GELF President. We want to give students the freedom to choose their books, call them their own, and get excited about reading. It’s more than books. It’s the future of Tennessee.”
Research from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading ReportTM: 8th Edition shows the majority
of kids (92%) say their favorite books are the ones they picked out themselves and say they are more likely to finish reading a book (93%) that they have picked out themselves, making the student-selection feature of OWL Fest more critical than ever.
“Teaching children how to read, and how to read well, is one of the most important things we can do to set them up for success in their education, in college and career, and in life,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “Thanks to our partners at GELF, students across the state have access to free books through OWL Fest to help them become strong readers.”
Only 40% of Tennessee 3rd graders read proficiently, which ranges from 22-38% in Priority
schools.
“Lincoln Elementary scholars are making great strides towards building strong early literacy skills,” said Dr. Patrice Martin, Director of Turnaround Schools, Jackson-Madison County Schools. “Owl Fest will further expand our scholars access to grade-level text, reinforce the importance of reading, and promote reading at home.”
A two-decade long study found that the presence of a home library increases children’s
academic success, vocabulary development, attention, and job attainment. Children with as few as 25 books in the home complete an average of two more years of schooling than those with no books.
“Lincoln Elementary will embrace this opportunity to provide books for all scholars,” said Annie Atkins, Principal of Lincoln Elementary. “At LES, we promote academic excellence in all areas and the OWL Fest will give us an opportunity to support this vision through reading.”
