St. Ignatius teacher urges parents to read with kids as book campaign reaches school

ST. IGNATIUS — A first grade teacher at St. Ignatius Elementary is on a mission to make reading a daily habit for her students — and she wants parents to be part of it. Kirsten Hawkaluk is asking her students to read for 20 minutes every night at home, a simple routine she says makes a significant difference in how children develop as readers. "Reading is an incredibly complex skill… it is not something that comes naturally, so it requires a lot of building, skill building throughout life," Hawkaluk said. Watch Story Here: St. Ignatius teacher pushes 20-minute reading habit for kids KPAX and the Scripps Howard Foundation have donated hundreds of books to St. Ignatius and other Title 1 schools through the "Give a Child a Book" campaign, putting new books directly into students' hands to take home. "Home reading is really important… it gives kids the extra practice that they're learning at school. And it helps parents connect," Hawkaluk said. Students have embraced the books they've received. "I like the colors that are in the books because I just like colors so much," one student said. "I get to read the books with my friends and I think that's it," another student said. One student summed up why reading matters to them personally. "I like drawing and reading because it makes my brain think about stuff," the student said. For Hawkaluk, the impact of putting books in children's hands reaches far beyond literacy. "When we put books into the hands of kids, they have opportunities to learn to read. I think any child will benefit from having books," Hawkaluk said. Click here to donate.