There is nothing that compares to the look that comes over a child's face when 'the light bulb comes on.' Many of our devoted volunteers have seen that look of pure joy in the face of a beginning reader when all of the sounds and letters he has been practicing finally come together and  comprehension occurs. When a child realizes he or she is reading, the proud moment ranks up there with riding a bike on two wheels! This is a memorable moment for our students, which also brings a lot of joy to our Read to Succeed volunteers.

Read to Succeed and Read to Excel are literacy programs fostered by United Way of Southeast Missouri. Read to Succeed (R2S) has been serving students in kindergarten and 1st grade since it rolled out to all Cape Girardeau public elementary schools in 2012. Data indicate students who were involved in R2S when the program first launched have the highest reading proficiency of any K-6 cohort. All participants average a gain in reading proficiency of one and one-half years. These programs, like these students, depend on volunteers to be successful.
 
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