'Reading Roadshow'

Volunteers Bring Storytime to Head Start, Other Preschools

Last updated Saturday, March 8, 2008 6:58 PM CST in Our Town

By Bettina Lehovec
THE MORNING NEWS

"They might not know the readers' names, but they know who they are," Smith said. "If they look out the window and see them coming, they get excited. They say 'The Reading Roadshow is here!'"

Lolly Greenwood, manager of youth services for the library, started the program two years ago. She realized that some preschool groups were no longer attending story time at the library, due to rising transportation and liability costs.

"Our intention was to take story time to them," she said. The program focuses on children in at-risk populations such as those served by Head Start. Those are the children who need exposure to books the most, she said.

Greenwood quickly realized there was more of a need than she and one fellow librarian could meet. She asked the library volunteer coordinator to recruit readers.

Today, the program is run by volunteer coordinator Margaret Burdette and Tim Schatzman, a volunteer with a passion for literacy.

"All sorts of educational research shows that a child who has been read to has a 30 percent greater vocabulary than one who hasn't," Schatzman said. "He's far more receptive to learning, has better comprehension and has already developed a love for and enjoyment of reading. It really helps prepare the child (for literacy)."

The goal is to foster an association between reading and pleasure and encourage families to utilize the local library, Schatzman said.

That's happening, as pupils tell their parents about the books they've heard and families discover the wealth of resources available at the library, Smith said. A future goal is to provide a book for each child to take home, further reinforcing family involvement.

Schatzman hopes to expand the program from biweekly to weekly, but to do that he'll need more volunteers. Readers can sign up for monthly shifts or read more often. He coordinates the schedule and assigns story time theme kits put together by the library.

Each kit contains several picture books, one or two songs, a hand puppet or other visuals and ideas for fingerplay, Greenwood said. Themes include dinosaurs, trains, bath time, shapes, colors and mice.

"It's very easy - and rewarding," Fitzpatrick said about the volunteer work. "I just love coming here and reading."

Like most Reading Roadshow volunteers, Fitzpatrick is retired. With her warm attention and careful listening, she embodies the qualities of a caring grandparent.

That gives children an additional benefit, said classroom teacher Connie Blew.

"It's wonderful for children to be with a more mature person that maybe they don't have the opportunity to be with (at home)," Blew said.

"Literacy is very important for them. To spark their interest in reading - that's powerful."

One little girl put it this way: "It's special. I like Miss Mary to read. It's different every time."

Get Involved

Reading Roadshow

Wanted: Volunteers to read to preschool children in area Head Start and other programs. Each session lasts 30 minutes. Volunteers can sign up for weekly, biweekly or monthly shifts.

For information: Contact Margaret Burdette, volunteer services coordinator at the Fayetteville Public Library, at 571-2222 ext. 4304.

Source: Staff Report

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