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Ready, Set, Let's Read

Children love to hear stories. But many children from lower-income households aren’t read to as frequently; they can benefit from having more stories read aloud to them. It builds their language and literacy skills while cultivating a love of reading.

United Way of Western Connecticut’s Ready, Set, Let’s Read! program places volunteers in preschool classrooms serving children who are at-risk of not being ready for kindergarten. Volunteers do group reading, one-on-one reading, and help with literacy-related activities.

Five preschools in Danbury partner with us on this program, benefiting hundreds of children. The preschools are Danbury Public Schools’ Cottage Street Early Learning Center, Head Start, Interfaith Early Learning Center, Little People Learning Center, and the YMCA Children’s Center.

The Ready, Set, Let’s Read! program also works with community partners to collect book donations for the partner preschools. This makes more books available to young children who many not have many books in their homes.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

  • Volunteer readers are scheduled to visit Danbury-area preschools that serve low-income children.
  • Volunteers read stories aloud to the classroom, and one-on-one with children who can use extra literacy assistance.
  • United Way volunteers and staff coordinate donations of books for local preschools as part of the program.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

21 volunteers are placed in Danbury area preschool classrooms

600 children benefit from having additional readers in the classroom

1,500+ books have been collected and distributed to preschools since the program’s launch

SUCCESS STORY

See how volunteers rev up a love of reading among early learners.

JOIN

We’re looking for caring volunteers who can make a weekly commitment to read books to area preschool classrooms. For more information, or to register for the Volunteer Information Session, please contact Morgan Greening at 203-297-6736 or morgan.greening@uwwesternct.org