As summer winds down, kids across the country are bursting through classroom doors. And one thing we all have learned is that books are an essential school supply for every child.

This fall, RIF can give brand-new books to children in low-income communities who wouldn’t otherwise have access to these life-changing resources.

And there has never been a better time to give than right now. Books Are Fun, one of our generous corporate partners who shares our commitment to helping kids learn and grow, has agreed to match any and all donations up to $100,000.That’s twice as many books for boys and girls in need for every dollar you give.

This back-to-school season, let’s double-down on the successful future of our children. Give today!

We’re going to help you get your kid back to school and prepared to achieve with our high-quality printables for your little ones and as well as reading activities for bigger kids. We’re also offering up a sweet RIF goodie bag filled with RIF character stickers, a Babar book and Babar stuffed animal, pens, bookmarks, notebooks and more back to school necessities all packed inside one of our blue RIF totes.

To enter, take a picture of what you and your kids are doing to prepare for Back-to-School and use the hashtag #RIFBackToSchool on Instagram. You’ll automatically be entered into a drawing to win an awesome RIF Back-to-School goody bag.  Keep track of the inspiration on our Facebook app.

Reading has a profound impact on a child’s ability to succeed in school — and life. Unfortunately, almost half of 3- to 5-year-olds aren’t read to daily. And as children enter school, busy parents may be tempted to stop their nightly read-alouds. But it’s just as important for you to be involved in their reading journey as it is for their teachers.

Through the Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading program, RIF is offering tips for helping parents inspire their kids to be passionate readers:

• Start young. Reading aloud to children at an early age is the most effective way to help them attain critical language and communication skills and instill great habits.
• Take advantage free online tools and resources that help make reading an engaging, shared experience for parents and kids. Check out our activities for more ideas.
• Variety is the spice of life. Be sure your house contains plenty of books to choose from on a variety of topics.
• Launch a children’s book club with other parents. Take turns hosting your children’s friends for snacks and a lively discussion on the book of the month.
• Kids love getting mail. Subscribe to children’s magazines so they’ll have something fun and beneficial to look forward to each month.
• Make sure children have their very own library cards and become frequent patrons at your local library.
• Be it the morning paper or your favorite novel, set a great example by making reading a daily habit for yourself.
• Many literacy programs supporting underserved communities, like RIF, are currently experiencing federal funding cutbacks. Invest in the lives of other children who might not have the same opportunities as your kids. Give to RIF today. Or check out other ways to give. For example, right now, every time you enter a promotion code found inside specially marked packages of Nestlé and Wonka candy at www.CelebrationCorner.com/RIF, Nestlé will donate money to RIF, to fund purchasing books for kids.

Start this school year strong for your child with reading!