Our Resident Services team recently partnered with Spread the Word Nevada, a local nonprofit dedicated to advancing early childhood literacy by placing books in the homes of low-income and at-risk children. The organization donated books to start a reading pilot program at two of our family communities, including Rome Pines, our brand-new property in North Las Vegas. The goal? Have an adult read to the children and slowly transition to the children reading to one another.
Veronica, a Resident Services coordinator with Nevada HAND, said, “The first time I sat down to read to the children, they immediately wanted to take over. After a month, we have several teens reading to younger children, and also helping the children read aloud to the group.”
After the reading group, resident children can take home a few of the books to start their own library, practice their reading, and nurture their love of reading. The pilot program has provided a safe and encouraging space for children to build their reading skills, get to know other children in their neighborhood, and discover new books and subjects of interest to them.
The programs have garnered a lot of interest since beginning, with more than 20 attendees and nearly 50 books handed out so far. Thank you to Spread the Word for partnering with us on this program and helping to instill a love of reading with our younger residents!