Literacy
In alignment with our goal of ensuring that children are reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade, there are two programs that BCDI-Wisconsin sponsors annually: Read to Succeed and Brunch of Books.
Read to Succeed
Was developed by the National Black Child Development Institute in 2017. The Read to Succeed program was designed to promote early literacy and language development by supporting families with young children in establishing home libraries with culturally relevant and developmentally appropriate children’s books and supplemental resources. The goal of this initiative is to empower Black families with effective and practical knowledge, tools and resources to equip their young children with the early language and literacy skills needed to ensure their early academic success
BCDI-Wisconsin participates in Read to Succeed. Since 2019 BCDI-Wisconsin has given 100’s of books to interested families in the Milwaukee Area. We have partnered with local and national authors that write books in which African American children can see themselves. Research shows that children need to see themselves in books in order to become strong avid readers. They need to have access to books with characters, stories and images that reflect their lives and their communities. When children see characters that reflect their own identity in the books they read, they feel validated, gaining a strong sense of confidence and pride in themselves, their experiences, and their culture.
Brunch of Books
The Brunch of Books serves as an opportunity to get books, literacy enrichment, and resources to the Milwaukee Community to support the development and enrichment of Black children. Participating authors read books to children and the books that are read are made available to the families of the children to promote literacy.
The Brunch of Books is a signature program that was created by our President Emeritus, Wanda Montgomery, in 2017 for BCDI-Milwaukee.
Community Involvement
As a part of Read to Succeed and Brunch of books, throughout the COVID Pandemic, BCDI-Wisconsin had members of the community read culturally responsive books via Facebook live to children and their families. This highlights the fact that BCDI-Milwaukee is committed to literacy.
