7/9/23 Ripon Public Library Announces Large Print Wonderbooks
9 July 2023 News
Ripon WI – Ripon Public Library is excited to announce the addition of Large Print chapter books for youth in the Wonderbook format – a book that offers print and audio all-in-one! This new collection is made possible with generous funding from a Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant, which was obtained as the President’s Project for Ripon Noon Kiwanis president, Gary Scholtens, and the Mildred M. and Edward W. Baar Education Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation with Webster Foundation facilitation. These funding organizations have exemplified their commitment to children and education with their generous donations.
Audio + Print Supports Literacy
The library has been circulating Wonderbooks – picture, emergent reader, and chapter books – for youth since 2020 with enormous success! These self-contained units circulate like a print book and are extremely popular with children, parents, and educators for their appeal as well as their literacy building capabilities. Data consistently confirms that pairing print with audio results in literacy skill gains such as comprehension and decoding, while students report significant increases in their enjoyment of, and confidence in, reading.
Large Print Supports Literacy
Large print format offers benefits such as a larger font size, enhanced spacing between letters, words, and sentences, clearer contrast between text and background, and fewer words and lines per page. After a 2020 study, “Advancing Literacy with Large Print,” conducted by Project Tomorrow and Thorndike Press, Dr. Julie Evans stated, “Two things made this study particularly significant. First, the enthusiasm of the students and teachers for large print was unparalleled. Second, the academic results of the study indicate that this is a very viable literacy intervention resource that every educator should investigate more fully.” The study also found that large print improved students’ confidence and enjoyment when reading and measurably increased their literacy skills.
A Powerful Combo – Large Print + Audio!
Combining the benefits of large print with the benefits of audio creates a powerful new tool for all educators and readers! This unique combination will be especially helpful to striving readers who may face literacy challenges due to attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, other visual challenges, or being an English Language learner.
The Ripon Public Library is grateful for Gary Scholten’s initiative and belief in the importance of this project, as well as the generosity of the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, and the Mildred M. and Edward W. Baar Education Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community.
Check us out!
Visit the library’s website or follow Ripon Public Library on Facebook and Instagram for more information and the latest library news on a host of FREE programs and resources for all ages and stages. Or call a friendly librarian, 920-748-6160.
In the photo: Ripon Noon Kiwanis President, Gary Scholtens, presents Youth Services Librarian, Linda DeCramer, with funds for the new Large Print Wonderbook collection!
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