Opening Books, Opening Hearts:ABC Literacy Week

The Soroptimist of Woodland literacy outreach program, A Book for Every Child (ABC), enjoyed another highly successful year. Between November 12 and 21, fifteen members of our club visited kindergarten classrooms throughout the Woodland Joint Unified School District to share the joy of reading with students. Over the course of the program, we reached 28 classrooms and 583 kindergarteners.

During each visit, members read aloud to the class and then guided students through the exciting process of selecting a book to keep. Watching the children choose a title that resonated with them—often with wide-eyed enthusiasm and heartfelt thanks—served as a powerful reminder of how formative these early literacy experiences can be. For many students, the opportunity to take home a brand-new book was not only memorable but deeply empowering.

The primary goal of the ABC program is to foster a lifelong love of reading by ensuring that children have positive, engaging literary encounters at an early age. By placing books directly into the hands of young readers, we aim to nurture curiosity, imagination, and foundational literacy skills that support long-term academic success.

Feedback from kindergarten teachers and participating Soroptimist members was overwhelmingly positive. Educators noted the program’s strong alignment with early literacy goals, while volunteers described the experience as both inspiring and deeply rewarding. Collectively, the initiative highlighted the critical role literacy plays in early childhood development and reaffirmed the profound joy that comes from sharing stories with young learners.