COVINGTON, Ga. - The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Live Oak Elementary School a $4,000 grant to support youth literacy. This grant is part of more than $4 million the organization recently awarded to approximately 960 recipients. Awarded annually, youth literacy grants help support teachers, schools and nonprofit organizations throughout the 44 states that Dollar General serves.
According to Donna Edmiston, LOES instructional coach and writer of the grant, the funds were used to purchase guided reading books for the school.
“With our demographics and poverty rate here, we knew we needed more books in the hand in trying to bring up our lexile levels and getting kids reading on grade level,” Edmiston said.
With the grant funds, Edmiston was able to purchase single copies for teachers to read to classes as well numerous copies of over a hundred different titles so there is one book for every two students in the classroom school-wide.
“There are teacher-led choral reading books and also books for partner reading between the students,” Edmiston said. “That would be followed by lots of discussion and written prompts so the students are using the text to better their writing.”
Overall, as a result of the Edmiston’s Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant, the school will ultimately receive well over 2,000 new books for students to read.
“Through our mission of Serving Others, we are excited to support literacy and education across the communities we call home,” Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer, said. “We hope the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s youth literacy grants help strengthen literacy programs, expand library collections, inspire a love of reading in students and make a distinct impact to enhance the lives of children.”
Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $140 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than nine million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education as part of its commitment to helping increase the literacy skills for individuals of all ages.
According to Donna Edmiston, LOES instructional coach and writer of the grant, the funds were used to purchase guided reading books for the school.
“With our demographics and poverty rate here, we knew we needed more books in the hand in trying to bring up our lexile levels and getting kids reading on grade level,” Edmiston said.
With the grant funds, Edmiston was able to purchase single copies for teachers to read to classes as well numerous copies of over a hundred different titles so there is one book for every two students in the classroom school-wide.
“There are teacher-led choral reading books and also books for partner reading between the students,” Edmiston said. “That would be followed by lots of discussion and written prompts so the students are using the text to better their writing.”
Overall, as a result of the Edmiston’s Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant, the school will ultimately receive well over 2,000 new books for students to read.
“Through our mission of Serving Others, we are excited to support literacy and education across the communities we call home,” Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer, said. “We hope the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s youth literacy grants help strengthen literacy programs, expand library collections, inspire a love of reading in students and make a distinct impact to enhance the lives of children.”
Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $140 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than nine million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education as part of its commitment to helping increase the literacy skills for individuals of all ages.
“We are so pleased with the hard work of our instructional coach, Donna Edmiston,” Ericka Anderson, LOES principal, said. “We are also grateful for the generosity of the Dollar General Literacy foundation. The Dollar General grant will provide vital support as we build and extend our students’ literacy skills. Our goal is for all students to engage in authentic reading experiences and this grant will enable our staff to extend students’ reading fluency and comprehension.”
