The Magic of Reading
That lifelong magic happens very young, at five or six. Young as it is, seven may be too late. The high school dropout rate for kids who haven’t learned to read at grade level by the third grade is 40 percent higher than for those who do.
That’s why Linda Barbour, executive director of Start the Adventure in Reading, and Anne Arundel County site coordinators Joanne Ward and Kit Gibson organize 150 volunteer tutors who devote a couple after-school hours each week to reading and playing word games with second graders.
STAIR provides healthy snacks for the children and lesson plans and materials for the volunteers. There are also celebrations throughout the year, and children get books and workbooks to keep at home. Last year, first-graders through middle-schoolers joined a one-week summer theater camp with the Robinwood Community Center. They read a play a day, worked on the camp newsletter and banners and finally performed for parents.
This year, 10 schools in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County have STAIR programs involving 74 children, with more schools on the waiting list. More volunteers — plus money — can make that happen.