Today is International Literacy Day, a time for us all to take a bit of time to reflect not only how lucky we are to be reading this sentence, but also how we can promote the ability to read all across the world. Have you been involved in any literacy programs or campaigns recently? We’d love to hear about them here.

If you’d like to get involved in promoting literacy, here are just a few things you can do…

Read to children. This is probably the single most important thing you can do to combat illiteracy. It was also one of the rules in my freshman lit class as an undergraduate! Whether they are your own or not, kids love being read to. Cuddle up in a nook with a favorite stuffed animal or pillow and show them how magical reading can be. Don’t force it, but do select a wide range of books that may cater to their various interests. For example, the baby I sometimes babysit enjoys books about people (especially babies) best, while my own daughter doesn’t care much for “people books,” opting instead for animal adventures.

Volunteer with a literacy group. Some great ideas include In2Books and ICouldBe. I have worked with both of these programs and highly recommend them. You get to interact one-on-one with a student you will mentor for the term, answering questions, reviewing books, and promoting literacy while you offer helpful advice about careers, studies, etc.

Help out at the library. See if they offer any tutoring programs you can help with. Find out if there is an adult literacy program you could get involved with. I have a good friend who teaches adults how to read and he says it’s one of the most rewarding volunteer jobs he’s ever had.

Give books to people. Every time I hear statistics about the number of kids without books in their homes, I am just flabbergasted. I guess it’s because we’ve always been lucky enough to have books; my mother would buy them in bulk at yard sales (as do we!), ensuring that we always had hundreds to choose from. We also all got library cards as children. Give out books to kids you know who don’t have them, and when you leave donations for charities (we actually have a pickup coming this morning; I let my daughter choose some books to add to the box), be sure to include books.

For more information and ideas, please visit the International Reading Association.