Mahoning Valley - With the proliferation of screens and distractions, educators are finding useful ways to motivate young minds to pick up books and develop essential reading skills.

On Friday,  Members of Boardman-Youngstown Kiwanis Club delivered new books to students at three elementary schools in Boardman, in an effort to motivate students to keep reading. 

Living in a digital age, where kids have phones and tablets at their fingertips, teachers say getting children to prioritize reading can be challenging.

"I think screens do make it hard. Kids always want to be on a screen or on an iPad. Getting them interested and motivated in reading is the hardest challenge," Candice Wright, reading center teacher at Robinwood Lane Elementary School told 21 News. 

Educators refuse to give up on this challenge though, and it starts with fostering a fun reading culture early on and using a rewards system.

"If they are reading so many minutes per day and meeting their goal, there [should be] some reward at the end. Whether it is earning that screen time or some other reward that is of intertest to the child." Robinwood Lane Elementary School, first grade teacher Holly Watts said. 

According to the National Literacy Institute, 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level.

Educators say, a lack of reading can impact comprehension and critical thinking skills and produce low self-esteem and behavior issues.

"If students are not reading by the end of the second grade, they are not going to be able to comprehend and meet those standards necessary to have success in third grade and through the rest of their years in school," Watts told 21 News. 

When the school day is over, parents are encouraged to employ different strategies at home, such as : going to a public library and letting the child pick out their own books, setting a timer and designating a reading time before bed, reading with the child, or setting up a cozy reading spot in the house or their bedroom.