Written by Ashley Graham of Sokos Social
As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” To have the chance to help a child learn to read, and spark the interest of a younger generation to continue reading and learning has been priceless.
The first week of the program, I arrived at Gecko’s on State Road 70 and eagerly awaited meeting the child I’d be mentoring for the next month. It was inspiring to look around the room and see all the volunteers, also anxious for the children to arrive! All of these individuals are dedicating a morning each week (some awesome individuals volunteering multiple days, too!) during June to help support Dive into Reading… to meet with a child, develop their reading skills, and conceptualize what they’re reading. Our morning reading sessions are also fueled with a delicious breakfast, a pretty awesome perk if you ask me…
It’s fun to see the enjoyment of the students during “Read Alouds” as the motivating teachers engage with the students during breakfast.
This past week, I looked forward to meeting with my reading buddy again! As we sat down at the table before breakfast, she was excited to share how many books she read since we last met and I was impressed… this rising second grader read almost 20 in one week! The students receive bracelets for the amount of books they read, along with a bracelet ceremony to celebrate their accomplishments… and her face lit up as she walked back to the table with multiple bracelets in hand!
The highlight, so far, has definitely been seeing a developing interest in reading and the growing confidence to take on any learning challenge!
I extend gratitude toward the Hornes for their dedication to children’s learning and expanding the Dive into Reading to multiple locations to reach over 350 kids in the area. Also, many thanks to the other organizations that are helping make it possible, like Sokos Social, the company I work for, that is allowing time off to be a part of this remarkable program!
I look forward to the coming weeks to see the students grow in their reading journey and tackle their Summer Reading Book Challenge!
Take a look at this week’s photo galleries!
Dive into Reading: Week 2 – South Florida Museum / Rogers Garden
Dive into Reading: Week 2 – South Florida Museum / Ballard
Dive into Reading: Week 2 – Geckos on 70 / Oneco / Samoset
Dive into Reading: Week 2 – Landside / Able
Dive into Reading: Week 2 – Cortez / Seabreeze
Dive into Reading: Week 2 – Cortez / Moody
IN THE PRESS:
