United Way of Miami-Dade’s ReadingPals program aims to provide preschoolers with a mentor to help nourish a love for literacy early on.
Last school year, the program paired 140 children with volunteer readers who read an average of 16 hours to each child. This year, ReadingPals is seeking 200 volunteers to continue fighting for quality early education and the success of every child in Miami-Dade.
One in three children are not prepared for kindergarten, which reinforces how the achievement gap can start as early as by the time a child is 18 months old. To fight the gap, ReadingPals exposes children to as much early literacy opportunities as possible. Volunteers read high-quality books and engage with the children through interactive learning activities that builds vocabulary and literacy skills, as well as, social and emotional development.
“I believe that education and an awareness of the rich possibilities offered by our world are fundamental to happiness and a better society. I also believe that reading is the most direct and enjoyable path to those goals,” said David Skipp, who is in his fifth year as a ReadingPals volunteer.
“I realized the remarkable value of ReadingPals when ‘my pals’ had achieved a clear boost in comprehension, a love for words, a real curiosity about the adventures to be had in the world around them and genuine kindness and compassion for others,” he said.
Last year, all students who participated in ReadingPals increased their scores in the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) assessment, showing they are better prepared to enter kindergarten. By the end of the school year, ReadingPals students had more gains overall than non-ReadingPals students.
Research shows that the most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to print. ReadingPals aims to provide 20 books for children in the program to take home. Last year, thanks to community donations, ReadingPals distributed more than 2,900 take-home books to continue reading outside the classroom. Each child also received a “Transition to Kindergarten” kit that includes books and a calendar of activities for families to prevent summer slide.
To volunteer with the ReadingPals program or host a ReadingPals book drive, email readingpals@unitedwaymiami.org or call 305-646-7021. Purchase and donate pre-selected book bundles at a special price at http://shop.booksandbooks.com/united-way-community-book-drive. For more information, visit www.unitedwaymiami.org/readingpals.
