Most of us take being able to read for granted but for many young teenagers, reading is a challenge and some have been left far behind by their school friends.
Teacher, Debbie Vaille in Boulder, Colorado, has been helping them catch up with a unique reading programme, made possible by Catalyst Exhibits’ Area 3 charity work.
If faking how to read was a subject in school, then these kids were scoring straight ’A’s all of the time. Her special class of 12-14-year olds had been faking they could for years but were too embarrassed to be seen reading kids’ books.
Debbie set out to get them back on track by ditching the books about magic ponies and fairy princesses with special books written for their age group. Books that speak to their age group but which are specifically designed to be easier to read. They don’t come cheap though at $10 a pop but, thanks to Catalyst’s contributions, Debbie’s class is now reading again. More importantly, they are reading about things that interest them.
On top of the books, Catalyst is also going to use its design talent to makeover the reading room. It’d be shame to waste all that talent, after all.
Illiteracy is a massive problem in the United States and the statistics are shocking. It’s estimated that over 42 million Americans are illiterate and another 50 million are semi-illiterate. Many of them are coming from the school system.
Debbie’s fresh approach is just one example of how we can give those kids that have fallen behind a chance to catch up. It’s why Catalyst got involved in the first place and plans to stay involved.
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Nice post. Thanks for sharing a new way to motivate and encourage kids to read. The reading room looks extremely inviting!
Debbie really sounds like one of those awesome teachers, that when the kids are old and grey like some of us, tears will still well up in their eyes when they talk about her. Gives me chills. She ROCKS!!