A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

The Media
Can Do to Help

1. Highlight successful reading programs. Cover stories about literacy events sponsored by schools, libraries, AmeriCorps projects, and communities and successful participants in them. Feature individual success stories and "unsung tutoring heroes." Provide information on how others can get involved.

2. Provide free newspapers for school use. Train teachers on how to use the newspaper in the classroom. Start a Vacation Donation program allowing subscribers on vacation to donate their unread issues to schools.

3. Start a Community Volunteer Alert Program. Publicize a weekly listing of volunteer programs in need of tutors. Provide contact names and numbers.

4. Help your community learn how to help children read better. Publicize tips such as those listed in this booklet and information about how to get involved with local reading programs. Promote literacy resources available in the community for families.

5. Keep families and the community informed about local student performance. Publicize school reading test scores and school efforts to reach high standards. Highlight a "student of the month" from an area school who has excelled academically in language arts or reading.

6. Sponsor literacy-focused events such as a Get a Library Card Day, Read-A-Thons, Book Drives, or Essay Contests. Contact your local library or literacy program for information about existing programs you can support and for help in organizing such events. Publicize a monthly calendar of these events and a short item about the outcome of each.

7. Support local literacy programs by donating advertising space. Produce a community public service announcement in support of reading. Publicize recommended reading lists for books that families can read with children of different ages.

-###-