Where Stories Connect: Inside the Heart of Our Literacy Club
- Sofia Ye
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
The Literacy Club is at the heart of Vestavia. Not only do they impact the Vestavia Youth, but they also have encouraged adolescent reading throughout Birmingham. The Literacy Club at Vestavia bridges educational gaps and boosts the reputation of reading. Children are not reading now more than ever, and statistics prove it. The latest comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, which states that in 2022, only 39% of 9-year-old children reported that they read for fun almost every day. What may be even more surprising is that 16% of 9-year-old children almost never read for fun.
Every month, high schoolers in the Literacy Club visit Vestavia Schools to read to younger kids. These sessions are branded as “Book Buddies”. You may have heard of their work, whether you had one or are one, and there’s no doubt about their passion. I got to ask Mrs. Deal, their sponsor, a question about the Literacy Club. Mrs. Deal loves the fact that everyone is encouraged to read, not just the ones who want to, or are ‘book smart’. She states that she “loves seeing older boys read to the younger boys because they can have someone to look up to”. To this, I completely agree; having someone older to guide you as you read makes it more achievable and fun.
Not only do they read to children, but every spring the Literacy Club participates in Read Across America. It’s a nationwide association that shares the same values as our local club: promoting literacy. This year, they visited Oliver Elementary School and read them “Duck, Duck, Dinosaur”. Each student received the same copy of the book to take home and read again on their own time. They read to each classroom, which totaled around 400 students.
Over the past couple of years, the Literacy Club has held multiple fundraisers and donation drives to help alleviate the costs of these books. The Literacy Club has been a long-standing club at Vestavia, and through their help with fun and accessible reading, Birmingham and Vestavia City schools won’t be saying bye to reading anytime soon.