The Junior League and Children's Literacy
Why children's literacy?
In 1999, the Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri identified children's literacy as an urgent need in our metro area. Our members believed that, through volunteer hours and financial assistance, we could make a difference.
We refer to children's literacy as our "Impact Area" and have committed to a ten-year focus on this important cause.
 | Our literacy goals are three-fold:
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We are motivated by statistics.
- Reading skill is the single greatest predictor of future academic success. (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
- 40 percent of America's children have difficulty learning to read. (National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, 1998)
- Early Identification of poor readers is critical. More than 90% can attain average reading levels through programs that combine phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency development and reading comprehension strategies, provided by well-trained teachers. If intervention is delayed until age nine, 75% of children will continue to have difficulty learning to read. (National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, 1998)
- People in the US who are illiterate represent 75% of the unemployed; a third of mothers receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children; 85% of juveniles who appear in court and 60% of prison inmates. (Straight Talk About Reading, 1998)
The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri is making a difference.
Since 2000, over $1 million has been given by the Junior League to support children's literacy efforts and initiatives in greater Kansas City. We don't stop there! Each year, an average of 120 women focus exclusively on children's literacy programs. By conservative estimates, that translates to more than 25,000 hours each year. The dollar value of this time is roughly $425,000!
Click here to learn about our Literacy Partners.
