In the afterschool hours of several elementary schools throughout Reading, PA, the Read Alliance Program is tackling early literacy in our communities by pairing Reading High School teens with first grade students three days a week to focus on building reading and literacy skills through activities and reading aloud. The 15 week program aims to improve the child’s literacy skills through a phonics-based curriculum. with more than 83% of participating students improving at least one grade level last school year.
Not only is this beneficial for the 254 elementary students participating this year, but it is also a paid opportunity for the 251 teens who devote their time to the program. For many of them, this is their first paid work experience and helps them develop critical work & life skills. They also receive access to financial literacy education and summer classes at RACC.
Senior teen leads Daylin Arias, Senior teen lead at 13th & Green Elementary School, and Railyn Pillier, Senior teen lead at Amanda Stout Elementary School, express how the Read alliance program has impacted their lives since getting involved.
How has Read Alliance impacted your life?
Dailyn said, “It has impacted my life a lot. At first when I started Reading Alliance, I didn’t know what I would get from it, but throughout the years, I’ve grown to love working with kids.. Seeing the change that we’ve been able to make in these kids’ lives has been outstanding.”
“Read Alliance has helped with making good decisions, improving my leadership skills, balancing money, and patience,” Railyn noted.
As we expand the program to the Governor Mifflin School District this year, The Reading Alliance program has proved itself to be an invaluable benefit to the struggling readers in our community. Not only do the teens take the skills they’ve acquired into the next stages of their lives, but they also carry the sense of fulfillment that comes through being a role model for the next generation of children.