LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas educator with more than 20 years of experience says one thing has remained constant throughout her career: the importance of reading in every classroom.
Lynn Smith-Jones, who has been an educator for over two decades, makes it a priority to leave books behind in every classroom she visits. She believes reading is fundamental to learning and tries to make story time engaging for students.
VIDEO| Shellye Leggett talks to Spread the Word Nevada about the importance of providing books to children in the Silver State
"I let them choose what story they want me to read. And so I read the story and then at the end of the day, I'm actually able to leave some books for the classroom, for the library," Smith-Jones said.
However, Smith-Jones acknowledges that books aren't always affordable or accessible for all educators and students.
That's where Spread the Word Nevada comes in. The nonprofit organization has been working for 25 years to put books directly into classrooms across the state, believing that literacy should have no price tag.
"We believe that books open opportunities for all children, and unfortunately, some of our lower-income children don't get that opportunity," said Lisa Habighorst with Spread the Word Nevada.
The organization has made a significant impact over its quarter-century of operation, distributing more than 8 million books and reaching more than 2 million children throughout Nevada.
"The growth and the expansion of Spread the Word Nevada is really due to the community support," Habighorst said.
Even during school breaks, the nonprofit continues its mission through special holiday programming. They're hosting special holiday hours at their warehouse exclusively for educators on Dec. 22, 23, 29 and 30 inside their Community Book Nook.
"If we could make their classrooms a little bit brighter with a free book library as well as save some dollars in their pocket, we will do so," Habighorst said.
For educators like Smith-Jones, this holiday gift is particularly meaningful as they work to instil lifelong learning skills in their students.
"Reading is like the most important thing in school cause you need it throughout life. It's one of those life skills that you need to have," Smith-Jones said.
Spread the Word Nevada says their goal every year is to reach as many students, families and teachers as possible, one book at a time.
