Volunteering Opportunity for Parents: Read Houston Read Program

Yesterday, we posted an article about holiday volunteering opportunities that students can use to earn service hours and give back to the community. But of course, volunteering isn’t just for students – many parents give of their time in serving their children’s schools and the greater community.

If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, and especially if you enjoy reading with your children, you may be interested in Read Houston Read. This HISD program pairs volunteers with first-grade students who have been identified as reading below grade level, and who are unlikely to have opportunities to read with an adult at home. Reading with an adult is an important way for young children to develop their literacy skills, and for students who read below grade level, it is difficult to catch up without this kind of opportunity. If you enjoyed reading to and with your own children, you might also enjoy helping a disadvantaged child learn to read better.

Read Houston Read asks volunteers to make a commitment of one half-hour per week for the duration of the school year. If you think you might be interested, you can sign up here.