Reading Buddies instill love of books in children

Recently, children at the 13th Avenue Dream Center in Bradenton were asked to write about their best friend. India Allen, a third-grader in the program, described her reading buddy, Christ Church of Longboat Key, Presbyterian member Paula Gilbert:

“Miss Paula is my best friend because she helps me with reading and self-control. Because of her, my grades went up two notches, and my grade level is now white, which means fourth grade. She loves me more than a Popsicle.”

India and Gilbert were paired together through the Christ Church Reading Buddies program, which is the sole sponsor of the Dream Center Reading Program.

Every other Thursday during season, volunteers travel to the Dream Center and work one-on-one with the same child throughout the season. The children are considered at-risk and range from kindergarten to third grade — a critical period for developing reading skills, according to Beverly Sutton, Christ Church Reading Buddies program director and a retired teacher.

“Children spend kindergarten through grade three learning to read,” Sutton said. “The instruction is based on developing the skills of a reader. After grade three, their time is spent reading to learn. If a child hasn’t learned to read by then, you really have missed that window of opportunity.”

The Dream Center Reading Program serves approximately 60 children four days a week, during which students receive direct instruction from two teachers and two aides, in addition to the individual sessions with a volunteer.

The Dream Center provides a variety of after-school programs for children that cost $10 per week. Christ Church recently received a $5,000 grant from the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key to provide temporary assistance to children to continue attending the programs if their families experience financial difficulties.

As an incentive for children to continue participation, church members award each child who completes three years of the program with a new bicycle, helmet, lock and trophy.

One first-grader turned to his reading buddy at a recent end-of-the-year awards ceremony.

“In two years,” he vowed, “I’m going to have a bicycle.”

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]