WSILTV Southern Illinois
Class Act: East Side Elementary Begins Senior Readers Program
By WSIL Reporter
September 11, 2012
MCLEANSBORO -- A group of senior citizens in Hamilton County is reaching out to kids in their community. East Side Elementary School has a Senior Readers Program that allows volunteers to read to grade school kids.
School leaders value the program.They say it builds reading skills, relationships, and trust.
The program is designed for students in kindergarten, first, and second grade.
"We read to the kindergarten kids and then the first and second graders read to us," says senior reader Floann Mitchell.
Principal Jackie Frey says the program has helped the kids enjoy reading.
"That helps contribute to a student's knowledge base and it helps contribute to their success in school. The more you read the better reader you become and we just want to encourage that over a lifetime," says Frey.
Some of the seniors have been participating since the program started 12 years ago. Eighty-six year old Ruth McGill says it gives her a special feeling.
"You just feel like you're sharing, you're giving and those kids are great. They're beautiful," says McGill.
For the kids, it's like having grandma or grandpa read with them.
"This is an opportunity for them to have some one-on-one attention," says senior reader Bob Smith.
Each child brings a book to the senior of their choice and once they're finished they go back to their classrooms.
"Some of them have particular seniors they want to read with and they really build a relationship," says Frey.
The school also participates in an accelerated reading program where the students can take a test on what they've read or had read to them.
"There are so many kids there that need help and just what little bit we can do. An hour actually isn't enough," says Mitchell.
Frey says this is a win-win program for the school and for the seniors.
The program runs until the end of each school year and most of the seniors say they will continue reading with the kids for as long as they can.