AR Kids Read, a literacy intervention program for elementary school pupils, is recruiting adult volunteers to spend one hour a week for 10 weeks helping Pulaski County area public school children hone their reading skills.
The Cat in the Hat character from Dr. Seuss' children's book of the same name was among the dignitaries Monday at a River Market Pavilion rally to recruit volunteer tutors and encourage young children to become regular readers.
"I promise to read each day and each night," Matthew DeSalvo in the Cat in the Hat costume read and asked 120 second-graders from four area schools to pledge.
"I know it's the key to growing up right," the children shouted back at him. "I'll read to myself. I'll read to a crowd. It makes no difference if silent or aloud."
People interested in volunteering as tutors can select a school in the Little Rock, North Little Rock or Pulaski County Special school districts.
The list of schools, the available times for tutoring and the volunteer registration form are on the organization's website: ARKidsRead.org.
The school districts will do a background security check on each volunteer applicant and provide a one-hour training session before the volunteer works with children.
Judy Hunt, who taught English and French at different places around the world and is now retired, attended the Monday rally. She tutored four children at Little Rock's Chicot Elementary School this past school year.
"I was looking for a volunteer project that would be rewarding and beneficial," Hunt said about her involvement in the cause.
She responded to a brochure from AR Kids Read that was placed on her car windshield and attended a training session, which included watching a short video at the Little Rock School District's Volunteers in Public Schools' office. She chose Chicot and quickly began looking forward to her time with the four children and giving them personal attention to help develop thier love of reading.
"It was easy," Hunt said of the process. "But it was hard to make that commitment to start. When I talk to my friends -- they are always interested -- but it takes a little bit more to make them make the commitment to sign up, go for the training and get the school placement.
"Once you are in your school, you feel committed enough to pursue it. Overcoming inertia is the challenge, but it's very rewarding. It's nice contact with the kids."
AR Kids Read, in its third year of operation, is seeking 600 volunteers to help children become proficient readers by the start of the fourth grade. This past year, the organization recruited 420 volunteers to work in 44 schools with the help of more than 60 partner organizations, including families, foundations, churches and businesses of all sizes.
Rex Nelson, president of the Arkansas Independent Colleges and Universities, was the master of ceremonies at the Monday rally.
"I'm a writer, and without readers, those of us who are writers are out of business," Nelson told the children from Boone Park, Indian Hills, Carver Magnet and Crystal Hill elementary schools. "I'm glad you guys like to read. I'm glad these tutors are there to help you.
"Volunteers have a real impact. We need more tutors."
Corey Anderson, vice president of Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation -- the sponsor of the Arkansas Campaign for Grade-Level Reading -- told the children that they should plan to go to college or do something else specific after high school to have a good opportunity for a fulfilling life.
"Did you know that reading and reading well is the best way to get to college? We want that for you," said Anderson, as he urged the children to commit to reading a book a day.
On the most recent 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress, a test given to a sample of fourth- and eighth-graders in every state, about one-third of Arkansas fourth-graders scored at proficient and advanced levels in reading.
On the spring 2014 Arkansas Benchmark Exam in literacy, 75 percent of Little Rock School District third-graders scored at proficient or advanced levels. That was below the 77 percent proficient rate for third-graders statewide. Children scoring at proficient are said to be achieving at their grade level.
Metro on 09/16/2014