On Friday, every classroom in Rutherford County will host a volunteer reader as part of Read To Succeed’s sixth annual Reading in the Schools Day.
Private, city and county schools will all participate in this event to highlight the pleasures of reading and underscore the importance to reading aloud to children. Forty-two schools, more than 1,000 classrooms and 25,000 students, will enjoy the pleasures of an adult from their community taking time to read to them.
County Mayor Earnest Burgess, a frequent reader for Reading in the Schools Day, enjoys participating because "you get to re-live again and again the joys of reading as a parent and grandparent even after all of your children and grandchildren are too old to want to be read to. The expressions on the children's faces of excitement and enjoyment are reward enough."
Many classrooms will have well known readers visit like Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg and radio personality Bart Walker. Firefighters and police officers are also among the favored readers.
Reading in the classroom brings rewards to the readers as well.
“It is such a thrill to read to the children at Scales Elementary. It is exciting to seeing young children¹s eyes light up as you read a book. They are so interested in the stories you have to share with them. They are so eager to learn. The hugs and book discussions are delightful. Everyone should experience the joy of reading to a child,” former city council member and local business owner Mary Scales said.
Even older students enjoy Reading in the School’s Day.
“Many people erroneously think that when a child learns to read they don’t want to be read to anymore,” said Ronni Shaw, Read To Succeed executive director. “Older children enjoy the pleasure of being read to very much and, as with pre-schools, being read to leads to higher reader skills.”
Special events are planned for many schools for Reading in the Schools Day. Some of the volunteers do not stop at reading aloud; they dress up and bring the stories to life.
Readers include Representative Kent Coleman as well as a Titan cheerleader.
Reading in the School’s Day is followed by Reading Rally from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, on the grounds of Linebaugh, Smyrna, and La Vergne Libraries. This celebration of the written word is a free, public, family event.
If you’d like to read in a school or find out more about Read To Succeed please visit www.readtosucceed.org.
Read To Succeed, the community literacy collaborative in Rutherford County, will promote reading, with an emphasis on family literacy. The nonprofit initiative supports literacy programs and fosters awareness of the importance of reading. |
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