Help a Child Read – Change Their Future – Volunteers Appreciated
Did you know that 8 out of 10 children who struggle with reading in the third grade continue to have reading issues throughout their entire school career? By taking the time to help a child improve their reading at an early age, you can make a huge impact on their future! “THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY for building knowledge for their eventual success in reading, is reading aloud to children,” stressed the “Becoming a Nation of Readers”, a report by the Commission on Reading.
The Rockbrook Reading Initiative had its origins in the fall of 2014. Jim Mustain, Executive Director of Loving Community was part of the development team. It began as a partnership between volunteers at Vista Ridge United Methodist Church and the counselors and teachers at the Rockbrook Elementary School. The primary goal was pretty simple. To help children to better learn to read!
Key to this reading program is the engagement of community volunteers, from high school students, to faith community and corporate volunteers, to senior adults. With these volunteers contributing anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour per week it provides an opportunity for small groups and one-on-one reading as scheduled and directed by the classroom teacher. Currently reading takes place with kindergarten and first grade students.
New volunteers for the final 9-weeks of the school year are currently being selected. The next training and orientation will be held on Monday, April 11th at 6 pm at Rockbrook Elementary School 2751 Rockbrook Drive, Lewisville, TX 75067.
In order to volunteer, you can begin by completing a volunteer application located on the Loving Community website: https://loving-community.net/volunteer-central/
Adult volunteers must also complete a Loving Community and LISD background check which is located at Volunteer Central as well. High school students are not required to complete this step.
Approved volunteers must attend a brief volunteer training and sign a Volunteer Code of Conduct. Please come on April 11th.
Volunteer times are Mon—Fri mornings and afternoons at Rockbrook Elementary School (2751 Rockbrook Drive, Lewisville, TX 75067)
For more information, you may contact Jim Mustain at jmustain@loving-community.net or Bob Johnson at bjohnson@loving-community.net.
