She speaks of the dropping literacy rate which worsened further during the COVID pandemic.
Second Lady Usha Vance recently discussed the Summer Reading Challenge she is promoting to support children’s literacy. K-12 students who read 12 books during summer break can receive a certificate and be entered into a drawing for a tour of the Nation’s Capitol.
Mrs. Vance said, “Literacy scores have been dropping. I mean, they’ve been dropping consistently, and it’s not just COVID-related, though that accelerated it. So kids are just reading less and able to read less.”
The second lady spoke of the concerns she and other parents have over the future with children constantly in front of devices.
“I want them to be able to sit down and focus on what it is that they want to think about, to really dive deep into it and to come to their own conclusions about things that are informed by that kind of reflection,” she said. “The summer reading challenge is the first, I think, of many small attempts to make a difference and to see what actually works at drawing children into the world of things and not of devices and giving them the time and space to just think.”
Mrs. Vance called literacy an “antidote,” saying, “The more you get drawn into a book… the more you’re excited about a new idea, the more you want to pick up that idea and continue following it through other books, through museums, through movies, through whatever it is.”
She said, “The Summer Reading Challenge is kind of a first attempt to tackle that by giving a positive alternative to the kinds of things that might distract little kids at their age. But we’re thinking about all sorts of other ways, like little interventions, ways of enticing kids to pick up books. You’ll see us roll those out, I think, over the course of the next year.”
More information on the challenge is available on the White House website.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Second Lady Usha Vance to be successful in promoting children’s literacy.
- For Secretary Linda McMahon to be prudent in her leadership of the Education Department.
- For parents and guardians to encourage children to read books and spend time away from screens.
Sources: The White House, PJ Media
