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Winter 2014
Read to a Child Winter 2014 Newsletter
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open up a child's world through reading
Dear Friend of Read to a Child,   
 

Did you know that 44 million adults in the United States can't read well enough to read a simple story to a child? Read to a Child volunteer reading mentors give their student partners the time, confidence, and tools to reverse the cycle of illiteracy. 

 

In the 2012-2013 school year, accomplishments included:

  • About 35,000 hours of one-to-one reading time in Boston, Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles, and Miami
  • More than 88% of first year students improved in one or more areas: vocabulary, listening comprehension, ability to articulate thoughts, self-confidence, enthusiasm for books, and reading ability
  • Engaged 1,400 weekly reading volunteers in our lunchtime reading program
Thank you for sharing our passion for changing the future for our nation's children - one book at a time. 
 
Sincerely,
      
Olivia Mathews
CEO of Read to a Child

P.S. Stay tuned for our 2013 Annual Report - coming soon! 

 

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Connecticut
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Caryl Lattof, Executive Director for Read to a Child Boston, and Chris Anderson, new Boston Regional Board Chair
 
 
Boston
   
Read to a Child in Boston is the proud recipient of a $15,000 grant from corporate partner Staples. In January, Staples' employees voted to direct funding to Read to a Child, increasing Staples' annual donation to $25,000! We are so grateful for the commitment Staples' employees have demonstrated to the lunchtime reading program!

 

We are also pleased to announce Chris Anderson as Board Chair of Read to a Child's Boston Regional Board. Chris has served on the Regional Board for five years.  He is co-founder and President of Anderson Robbins Research which provides bipartisan market research analyses.

 

Boston's Read to a Child team had a successful year participating in the 2013 Rodman Ride for Kids, surpassing its $25,000 goal to win an additional 10% on all Rodman Ride donations. We are gearing up for a successful 2014 Ride in September! For more information about cycling, contact Kristen Baxter at kristen.baxter@readtoachild.org.

Connecticut
 

Lunchtime reading program volunteers in Connecticut consistently share stories of the program's impact. One Allied World Assurance volunteer at Lincoln Elementary School describes her reading partner's progress: 

 

"My student's reading capabilities have grown from simple books to much more difficult stories. I saw her interest go from princesses to wanting to read about Martin Luther King - a huge accomplishment."

  

We are also very excited to announce that the Travelers Foundation has generously awarded Read to a Child $40,000 to support the Lunchtime Reading Program in Connecticut. Travelers is a long-time partner of the program, with over 60 volunteers reading weekly in Hartford. 

Detroit

Read to a Child in Detroit has become a huge hit with reading mentors and their students. Kim Bormann, School Coordinator at New Paradigm Loving Academy, captured this when she said:

"The students often ask me on their off-day if they can still attend the reading session. Other students not in the program ask when they will be able to participate. The principal told me last week that the kids LOVE reading with their mentors and that it is a huge success!"
 
Kim also described a little girl who asks her mother every day if it is Wednesday because that is her usual reading day. Clearly these children are excited by the program - which in turn will create an excitement and life-long love for reading.
Read to a Child volunteers collecting books in L.A.
Los Angeles
 
Read to a Child volunteers in Los Angeles partnered with the L.A. Lakers as part of Chick Hearn night at Staples Center to run a successful book drive benefiting children in the Los Angeles area. Over 630 books were donated and then distributed to children in the Los Angeles area this holiday season. 

 

In addition, Read to a Child is partnering with the non-profit Families in Schools on their annual initiative, the Million Word Challenge, which launched on February 3rd. The initiative encourages students to read outside the classroom. Participating schools have their students submit reading logs, which are signed by their parents each week. At the end of the challenge on March 21st, each school selects one winner, who will receive a $50 gift card to Target to purchase books. Winners will also be honored at the LA Times Festival of Books in April. Special thanks to Los Angeles corporate sponsor Ernst & Young for their assistance in producing the program materials needed for this initiative.   

South Florida

 

Read to a Child is thrilled to announce that Jose Romero has become Chair of the Regional Board in South Florida . When asked why he joined the board, he said:
 
"I know how important literacy is to the education and development of children. Unfortunately, kids in Miami are not getting the support that they need, and I want to do what I can to make things better for them."

Read to a Child | 781-489-5910 | 
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