From Berks County Community Foundation
Photo courtesy of Andrew Neel on Unsplash
The Berks County Community Foundation will host a community forum entitled “United Way of Berks County’s Read Alliance Program” on Thursday, Aug. 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Zoom.
Children learn to read through the end of third grade; when they enter fourth grade, students read to learn. This is why United Way of Berks County’s Ready.Set.READ! initiative focuses on kindergarten readiness and reading proficiency by the end of third grade.
As part of its Ready.Set.READ! efforts, United Way partners with Reading School District to deliver a phonetics-based curriculum called Read Alliance in nine elementary schools. The dual impact program, based on a New York Read Alliance model, recruits and trains high school students to serve as tutors for first graders. Teens gain valuable leadership and work skills through this paid work experience; elementary students gain measurable reading progress.
The results have been significant:
- 462 second-grade students have completed the program.
- 76% of them made at least a one-year improvement in their reading skills; and
- 323 high school teens gained paid employment and work experience.
With the success in Reading School District, United Way is now expanding the READ program, creating a greater impact for area teens and young students.
Join the Berks County Community Foundation to learn more about this transformative program. There is no fee to attend. Registration is required. Click here to register.
Questions? Email Berks County Community Foundation Senior Fellow Dave Myers at davem@bccf.org.
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Source: bctv