Lead 2 Read: Building a Better Community One Book at a Time

In I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, Dr. Seuss wrote, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

While reading is the key to learning, many young students do not read at grade level, leading to frustration and discontent as they progress through school. Sadly, some graduate from high school with literacy skills far below acceptable levels, or worse, drop out of high school altogether.

The result: some of our young adults are unable to qualify for meaningful, well-paying jobs, and our community faces enormous challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified employees and industry. The economic cost to the community and society is significant, but perhaps more devastating is the loss of potential among our youth.

Recognizing the need for students in the Henderson, Ky., community to develop a high level of literacy as they progress through the school system, the Raymond B. Preston Family Foundation has re-launched the Lead 2 Read literacy and mentoring program. Partnering with Henderson County Schools, Lead 2 Read matches community volunteers for one-on-one weekly reading sessions with elementary school students.

Our schools and teachers are doing a great job educating students, but the demands on educators today are significant. For that reason, Lead 2 Read organizers believe everyone will benefit when the community partners with schools to help students.

Why? Students with strong reading skills are more confident, perform better in the classroom and have improved attitudes toward school. Strong readers are far more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. A well-educated workforce will undoubtedly have a positive long-term impact on the community. It's a win-win-win-win-win situation, with significant benefits for students, their parents, schools, the community, and the volunteers!

One of the keys to building a strong readers is to intervene early and read aloud to children often. Until third grade, children are learning to read. After third grade, they are reading to learn, meaning their ability to learn depends heavily on how well they can read.

Various studies support the fact that children benefit and become better readers from listening to someone read aloud. That's why Lead 2 Read hopes to recruit an army of reading volunteers who will commit to reading with elementary school students weekly.

Lead 2 Read began in 2008 as a project of the Henderson Leadership Initiative. While it still has volunteers reading to students in the schools, Lead 2 Read plans to grow the program and is dedicated to making a long-term positive impact in Henderson.

To do that, Lead 2 Read needs reading mentors.

"Volunteers will definitely get as much out of this program as the children," said one volunteer, who watched his young reader evolve from a shy, timid student who lagged behind in school into a confident, young student. "It's incredibly rewarding!"

To find out how you or your business can become involved with Lead 2 Read, please contact us at hendersonlead2read@gmail.com.