Not Just Words On The Page:
Josh believes in consistency. Accordingly, even as a busy father of two kids under age 10, he has been reading to children at Little Eagles Child Development Center since April 2009.
Josh learned about the Volunteer Reader Program during an informational lunch at his workplace, Expeditors. During college, he read as a volunteer at the YWCA, and wanted to return to volunteering. His love of reading combined with his prior experience lends itself well to his participation in the Volunteer Reader Program. When reading, he makes sure to provide context for each story and to pause in order to explain words the small pupils may not have heard before. He remarks that, “they are probably picking up on that at a pretty incredible rate given where they are in their development.”
While every child develops at his/her own speed, Josh is observing who is struggling with language or who has trouble playing with other children. He believes one-on-one reading time is an opportunity to help build the children’s self-esteem. Josh adeptly alters how he reads with different kids: for example, he has a “deal” with a little boy that after reading one book, they play with Legos. When reading with one particular little girl, Josh knows it has to be a princess book. As he reads, the children are eager to share: “that happened to me! We did that on vacation! I’ve been there!”
A voracious reader himself when he was a child, Josh uses varying voice inflections and enthusiasm to make reading come alive for the children at Little Eagles so that “it’s not just words on the page.” Books aren’t just words printed on a set of pages for Josh, and he ensures that reading isn’t just words on the page for the little eagles.
No comments:
Post a Comment