SHARE  

PRESS RELEASE

Tiger Bookmobile Summer 2013 Schedule Announced

Texarkana, TX – Texarkana Independent School District’s Tiger Bookmobile is getting ready to roar through Texarkana for their Summer Tour 2013.

The unique, one-of-a-kind mobile literacy unit gets children wild about reading. The primary focus of the bookmobile is to help prevent summer learning loss by allowing students the opportunity to continue their education during the summer through reading. The mobile unit becomes a welcome change to a child’s summer routine and allows for creativity and entertainment, thereby reducing the negative perception about summer learning.

Research estimates that 50-67% of the achievement gap for children living in poverty is the result of summer learning loss. Fortunately, research has also shown that having elementary-aged children read just four to five books during the summer can prevent this loss and help close the achievement gap.

According to the research, summer reading loss is cumulative. Children who are not encouraged to read during the summer don’t catch up in the fall because those children that are reading during the summer are moving ahead with their skills. By the time the start of school begins, a child not encouraged to read has fallen behind. Additional research has shown that by the end of the sixth grade, those students who lose reading skills over the summers of their first thru sixth grade years, are up to two years behind their classmates in reading ability and comprehension.

You can’t miss the 48’ mobile unit when it is traveling down the street. With a brightly colored exterior aesthetic featuring children and animals all enjoying reading, the unit has been outfitted with mobile satellite technology, thousands of books, iPads, Kindle e-readers, reading benches and seats, flat screen television, Wii gaming, bean bag chairs and colorful rugs. The look is complete with an additional exterior seating area featuring a canopy, bean bag chairs and more fun rugs. 

Open Monday thru Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., the Tiger Bookmobile will travel throughout the community to various partner sites from June 17 thru August 23. A story hour will be featured at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily. Tour dates & locations are: 

June 17, June 24, July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, August 19:
     The Oaks at Rosehill - 2100 West 12th Street
June 18, July 9, July 23, August 6, August 20:
     Hands On Texarkana – 1915 Olive Street
June 19, June 26, July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31, August 7, August 14, August 21:
     Splash Pad at Spring Lake Park – 4303 North Park Road
June 20, July 11, July 25, August 8, August 22:
     Nash Elementary School – 100 Burton
June 21, June 28, July 12, July 19, July 26, August 2, August 9, August 16, August 23:
     Pecan Ridge at Rosehill – 2210 West 15th Street
June 25, July 16, July 30, August 13:
     Highland Park Baptist Church – 2401 Hazel Street
June 27, July 18, August 1, August 15: ONLY OPENED FROM 9:30 A.M. - NOON
     Salvation Army – Center of Hope – 316 Hazel Street

Funding for the bookmobile is in part through the Texarkana Public Schools Foundation and the Tiger Family of TISD employees during their annual “All-In-One” campaign. Additional donors and in-kind providers are: Texas Pioneer Foundation; Mr. Jack Bruner, Capital One Bank, Altech, Inc.; SHW Group; AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company; Arkansas Community Foundation and the Texarkana Area Community Foundation; Mrs. Donna Chatman; The Bobbie A. Atkinson Foundation; FastSigns; Mayo Manufacturing Corp; Mr. & Mrs. Kelly Tidwell; The Washington Post Company; Mr. & Mrs. Joe A. Norwood, Jr.; THS Class of 1949; and, THS Class of 1999.

For more information on the Tiger Bookmobile and their 2013 Summer Tour, contact: Tina Veal-Gooch, 903.794.3651 ext. 1013 or visit www.txkisd.net.

Download Article.