Children building foundation for success through Volunteer Reader Program

The single most important activity for children's eventual success in reading is reading aloud to them, according to the National Institute of Education. Kids who can't read well struggle with all of their academics, and if they have a hard time learning to read in kindergarten they typically still struggle with reading in 3rd grade, and the gap tends to grow over time. We're concerned about that and know that the place to make a real difference is early. That's why we started the Volunteer Reader Program as part of our early learning work.

Our Volunteer Reader Program, launched in March 2007, has helped more than 600 children in King County become better prepared to learn to read through more than 2,400 one-on-one reading interactions. The program pairs volunteer readers with children at preschools, Head Start programs and child care centers.

"What we've learned is that when a caring adult consistently reads to a child, that child gains confidence, self-esteem and an eagerness to learn, which lays the foundation for success in school," says Karen Howell-Clark, United Way's director of school readiness. Young children learn through relationships. Not only are nurturing interactions important for the development of social and emotional skills, they're also the necessary context for the acquisition of other skills. Reading to children during their early years exposes them to new words and ideas, helps them develop longer attention spans, and promotes the language, literacy and social skills necessary for school readiness.

United Way has so far mobilized more than 140 volunteers from our community to read aloud to young children at 28 sites in the region. These volunteers have committed to read to kids once a week for at least six months. "Our Volunteer Reader Program is a great way to nurture children's interest in reading and learning, and it's a fun way for volunteers to give back to the community in a meaningful way," says Howell-Clark.

Find out more, or contact readers@uwkc.org or call 206.461.3656.

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