Reading to Kids: LA alumni help kids connect with books

Sunny Breed, J66, G72, reads aloud to Esperanza school children in Los Angeles.

February 13, 2006--The Los Angeles Tufts Alliance (LATA), a chapter of the Tufts University Alumni Association (TUAA), partnered with local literacy organization, Reading to Kids, to spend story time with elementary school children in downtown Los Angeles on January 14.

During "Tufts Reading to Kids" ten alumni paired with an experienced member of Reading to Kids to work in classrooms of four to ten students, organized by grade level.

Each grade level was assigned a different book selected by Esperanza Elementary School teachers. Volunteers read the stories aloud, engaging the children with their expression and enthusiasm for reading, and then led a craft or activity related to the story. Meanwhile, the students' parents received expert advice on how they could encourage literacy at home.

This was LATA's first event under TUAA's new active citizenship initiative. Heidi Pickman, J88, G92, active in both LATA and Reading to Kids, said, "This project was very rewarding right away because you were able to interact directly with the kids."

Although the Tufts event was a one-time commitment, several alumni expressed interest in continuing to be involved with the program.

"I loved it. I had a great time, and I really want to go back and volunteer with them again," said Erin Ross, a 2002 graduate who recently relocated to Southern California.

Reading to Kids was founded as the Gratts Reading Club at Gratts Elementary School in May 1999. It began with only eight volunteers at one school, and has grown to serve more than 700 children a month at four elementary schools in the Los Angeles area.

Many of the students who participate in the monthly program are learning English as a second language and are from low-income families, nearly sixty percent of which lack age-appropriate reading materials for children. To help reverse this, Reading for Kids presents each child with a new book to take home at the end of the day.

LATA looks forward to another active citizenship event in the fall, currently planned as a coastal clean-up, followed by a family picnic. If you live in the Los Angeles area, make sure we have your current contact info so that you'll receive emailed invites to future alumni events. Update your info in the Tufts Alumni Online Community. Not a member? Register today. Forget your username & password? Look it up.