WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -- The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base community is one of several organizations participating in a Read On! Dayton Region book drive to benefit preschool through third-grade students in the Dayton area.

Research shows that low-income children fall behind two and a half months in reading every summer. This loss compounds, meaning that every school year, these children start further behind their peers than they were the year before. Experts estimate two-thirds of the reading achievement gap by ninth grade is caused by summer reading loss.

Last year more than 2,600 children each received 10 books of their choosing to read during the summer.

At each school's book distribution, the children were able to browse through the books and select the titles that most appealed to them.

Collection boxes have been distributed to 15 high-traffic points around the base, including the pharmacies at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center and Kittyhawk Center, Area A; Child Development Centers in Area B; base commissary and Exchange in Kittyhawk Center; and the Air Force Institute of Technology. Books will be collected until April 15. A preferred book list may be found at
http://learntoearndayton.org.previewdns.com/read-on/bookdrive/bookdrive-faqs/.

Read On! Dayton Region's goal for 2016 is to collect 85,000 books, of which 60,000 have been donated. The organization is asking for the base community's help in collecting the additional 25,000 to meet its goal.