“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ~ Albert Einstein
Young readers across the globe are gaining access to books in a new way—through Happy Meals. According to the Daily Mail, McDonald’s has initiated a program called Happy Meal Readers, which puts books inside of children’s Happy Meals.
This program has been put in use in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to combat dropping literacy rates in children, the article states. In New Zealand, abridged copies of Roald Dahl’s children’s books will temporarily replace the toy prizes in Happy Meal boxes. The initiative is supposed to encourage children—and their families—to read more often.
While a Happy Meal toy brings a few moments of fun, books can have an impact on the rest of a child’s life. McDonald’s aims to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income. Because of this broad reach, they are a perfect venue for a program such as this.
Bringing books to kids is more than a clever marketing strategy for a fast-food chain—it can truly impact the children who get those books.
According to a global study from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, more than 60 percent of children and adolescents have not obtained minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. This can largely impact their future education and job opportunities.
This initiative should be implemented everywhere. Though reading initiatives and literacy assistance are often available, these programs do not have the same customer base and marketability that a place like McDonald’s does.
This fast-food chain is providing more than just entertainment for kids, and other restaurants like it should follow suit. According to HubSpot Research, many growing companies attribute the corporation’s success to their customer’s success.
Literacy is not a luxury. The success of students depends largely on their ability to read and write well. Book accessibility is vital for literacy, and McDonald’s is trying to help make that happen for children around the world.
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