Want to Be a Reading Mentor? It's as Easy as A-B-C!

Ask how you can get involved with Lead 2 Read! If you are willing to spend 30 minutes to an hour each week serving as a reading mentor to a Henderson elementary school student, we need you in our program. Students are eager for you to read with them and help them achieve their reading goals. After all, reading is the building block of learning! Contact us at hendersonlead2read@gmail.com.

Be present for an informational training session and complete a simple background check form (required of all volunteers within Henderson County Schools). The informal training sessions last approximately one hour and are scheduled at various times that are convenient for our reading mentors. We will share volunteer guidelines; review the Lead 2 Read process for participating schools; and answer any questions or concerns you have about mentoring. Sessions are designed to make working with Lead 2 Read an effective, rewarding process for everyone involved.

Commit to reading with a local student each week! Once you complete training and a background check, you will be matched with a local student to begin your reading adventures. We hope that you will meet  weekly throughout the school year and cheer your student on as he or she works to read at grade level -- and beyond! It truly is as simple as sharing books and encouragement along the way. Join Lead 2 Read, and you'll be A real hero Because you Cared!

Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches, we are reminded to be thankful for many things we hold dear in our lives: our families; our friends; our jobs; our homes; our country; our health.

I will add something new and special to my list of things to be thankful for this year: I am thankful for Lead 2 Read.

The more I learn about the importance of early reading intervention, the more enthusiastic I am about Lead 2 Read and its mission to foster literacy in the community by creating a network of reading mentors. These wonderful volunteers will commit 30 minutes a week to read with a student to boost reading skills to the appropriate levels.

Why is this so very vital to the community? A child's reading skills are critical for success in school, work and life.

Studies suggest that students who read below grade level are more likely to become frustrated learners who begin to fail in school. Unfortunately, students who fail are more inclined to become absentee students; drop out of school; contribute to juvenile delinquency; abuse drugs and alcohol; and are far less likely to obtain meaningful employment. This impacts everyone in a community.

But there is wonderful news! Thankfully, we have a powerful tool to reverse these troubling trends and help children become better, stronger readers and more confident, engaged students. And it really is as simple as reading with students. Open a book; change a life!

In spite of exciting new technology in the classroom, reading aloud with students is still considered one of THE most effective educational tools. Reading aloud helps students in a variety of ways: it builds concentration and critical thinking skills; stimulates curiosity; and encourages students to associate books with pleasure - making them more likely to become lifelong readers and learners.

It's so easy to volunteer (if you can read; you can lead!), and I am grateful for the community members who have signed up with Lead 2 Read so far. I also am thankful for the student I have the pleasure of reading with - and the smile on his face when we discuss stories and talk about his school goals.

If you can commit at least 30 minutes a week during the school day to read and work with a child on his or her reading goals, I would love to talk with you about our program. We offer informational training sessions at your convenience.

If you would like to make a positive difference in a child's life -  please contact me at hendersonlead2read@gmail.com

As you celebrate this wonderful time of year, please take a few moments to share a book with a child in your life. He or she will one day be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, and happy reading!

~Jennifer Jenkins Reese
Lead 2 Read Volunteer Coordinator