Boston non-profit's volunteer literacy coaches help kids raise reading levels
ROXBURY - A Boston non-profit is pairing mentors and students to help kids read.
David Ellis Elementary School in Roxbury is one school where Literations is matching older, volunteer literacy coaches with young children to improve their reading skills.
"We train all our volunteers to be literacy coaches for kindergarten through fourth graders. We work in Boston public schools, Framingham public schools and Boys and Girls Clubs in the after school programs," Literations executive director Wes Enicks told WBZ-TV.
The benefits of this initiative are endless.
"It's so great, one that we know that our kids can achieve their personal best because we have extra adults in our building be able to help the kids with the skills that they need, but then I think about the community. We want our kids to know that the whole community is rooting for their success," said David Ellis Elementary principal Lemuel Ivy.
That's where the literacy coaches come in. This has become a passion for all of them.
"It really, really excites me because when a child gets it, they get it. And these children right here are our children," said literacy coach Shirley Royster.
"The fact that an older adult is showing up two times a week, for 30 minutes, for a child to listen to them individually is something that many kids don't get today," said Literations program manager Lisa Higgins.
"To a person, every single one is like, we need to show up for our kids. We want to be here, we don't want them to miss the resources or the supports. That just shows you how dedicated they are to the school," Enicks told WBZ.
For more information about the program, visit their website.
