Make a Difference: Read to a Child

On my favorite day of the month, nobody in the room cares that I’m the Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent.

The 21 first-graders in Mrs. Middlebrooks’ class at Lansdowne Elementary School know I’m the person who cancels school when it snows.

But the reason they get excited to see me is because they’ll each be getting a new book.

As part of the “Read, Excel, Achieve, Lead” (REAL for short) mentoring program through Scholastic, community volunteers read aloud with students once a month.

The program takes the guess work out of mentoring by providing volunteers with pre-selected books for each grade level, helpful tips on reading with the students and suggested discussion questions to ask.

After we read together, students each receive a copy of the book to take home and add to their personal libraries.

I’m one of about 300 volunteers serving more than 7,500 students in 29 elementary schools across the district.

Since the program launched in October, children have taken home more than 42,000 books.

Our goal is to create a community of readers here in Fayette County by instilling a deep passion and love of reading in our students.

Each school has adapted the program to fit the needs of their students, and in many buildings, the focus has been on “REAL Men Read” in an effort to bring more male role models into the classroom.

National research shows that boys do not develop as readers at the same pace as girls. It means so much for the boys in the class to see men who enjoy reading.

The REAL program is just one of the many initiatives under our Give 10 umbrella, which asks individuals in our community to give up to 10 hours a month to make a difference in the life of a child.

Schools across Fayette County have identified specific ways that volunteers can support students.

The list includes long-term commitments like mentoring, tutoring or helping with extra-curricular activities, and one-time activities like chaperoning field trips, and assisting with book fairs, festivals or other school events.

Through Give 10, the district will match people who want to volunteer with requests for help.

Every single person who lives and works in Fayette County can make a difference in the life of a child – no matter where you live, how much you make or what level of education you have.

Whether you want to get involved as an individual, or you want to join forces with people you work with, worship with or share a sorority or fraternity with, our kids need you.

Will you consider joining us?

Visit www.fcps.net/Give10 to get started.