According to its website presentation, Children's Books on Tape was founded in the fall of 2000 by siblings Samuel and Faren Silverman as a community service project that has since evolved into a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit corporation. The organization reaches out to children in disadvantaged lower income schools by providing elementary level recorded books-on-tape.
Recorded books are packaged along with tape recorders into Listening Libraries, each comprising of 50 books and six tape recorders. Listening libraries are then donated to Elementary School classrooms and media centers. Since its founding, Children's Books on Tape has donated over 4,000 recorded books-on-tape and 250 tape recorders to Elementary Schools in south Florida.
A recent PBC press release on students at Grove Park Elementary (Palm Beach County School District) indicates students are developing essential literacy skills thanks to Children’s Books on Tape Inc., which (headed by Faren, Sam, and Nina Silverman), has donated five Listening Libraries to the Palm Beach Gardens school. Each library set consists of 50 children’s books with the audio recording of each book. The books and tapes are all in storage bags and hung up on a spinning rack. In addition, each set of books comes with five tape recorders. The total donation is 250 books and cassettes, 5 spinning racks, and 25 tape recorders for a total value of $2,300.
Grove Park Elementary Principal Eric Gross said, “We greatly appreciate the generous support of the Silverman Family and Children’s Books on Tape, Inc. These listening centers will help our students develop essential literacy skills in a way that makes learning more enjoyable”.
Listening Libraries have been placed in 79 individual classrooms and libraries in Title 1 schools in Palm Beach County and Martin County schools by Children’s Books on Tape Inc.
“Children’s Books on Tape” is a practical yet unique way of cultivating reading and listening interest among elementary students with special emphasis on those Title I schools where all students may not experience being read to on a regular basis and therefore listening skills may not be developed quickly; with the books on tape program, students can listen to as many stories as they like while following along in their books which encourages reading by providing personal enjoyment.
REF: PBCSD (Press Release) Public Affairs Office. January 2013.
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