Guests from the community were at Ward Elementary School last week to read books to students as part of their schoolwide read-in.
The read-in was originally planned for February and was set to be centered on books related to Black History Month, but it was rescheduled due to inclement weather. Many of the featured books still told stories of Black empowerment, as well as moral stories about growing up, biographies of inspiring people, youth classics like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, and much more. No matter the subject, students all over the school were excited to have company.
“They were all very attentive and interested in the books,” said Volunteer Reader Lauren Tribby-Pruett. “It’s always fun to go into a school to see what the kids are learning and what kind of environments they’re learning in.”
The volunteers were a wide range of public figures, including pastors, police officers, artisans, parents and grandparents, and many more people in the neighborhood who wanted to share their love of books with the students. Reading with a child is a great way to inspire long-lasting reading habits in them. Receiving that attention from new faces also adds some appreciated variety in their curriculum.
“People taking that time out of their day to read with them, to talk with them and answer their questions, that’s exciting for them,” said Ward Librarian Fontaine Gervasi.
Every book a child reads is not only an opportunity for them to learn something new and motivational, but also a chance to form a positive memory that will always remind them of the value they got from being in school. Thanks to a dedicated base of volunteer readers, more of those memories are forming for students at Ward.
“It’s pretty cool that there are people out there who want to come in and read with us,” said Fifth Grader Zander Reese. “It feels good to know people care.”