Every child who winds up doing well has had at least one stable, committed relationship with a supportive adult. – Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University As a fifth grader, it’s been a few years since Ian Smith has been involved with Lead to Read KC, but...
Blog
Our blog is like a choose-your-own-adventure book, with a great Lead to Read KC story on every page. Read recent posts and explore an archive dating back to 2012.
It’s never too early: Reading at a young age matters
We know that reading at grade level by third grade can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Why? Because reading changes the way our brains work, how we relate to other people and how we understand the world. The importance of reading at a young age cannot be...
Reading Mentor pulls double duty
At the beginning of the year, Mike McGuire joined our team of Reading Mentors. Every Tuesday, you’ll find him at Genesis School. Before he joins his class as a “Flextra” Reading Mentor, he heads to the school’s library, logging into a virtual reading session with a...
Read a book, change a life. Volunteering with Lead to Read KC.
Lead to Read KC’s dedicated volunteer Reading Mentors are caring, dependable adults in the lives of the students we serve. But did you know that spending one-to-one time with a child builds healthy brain connections at any age? Check out our guest blog post on...
The impact of literacy on self-confidence
“When children believe they can’t read, then they won’t read. It is a simple equation.”— Stephanie Sawhney, IMSE Journal If you follow Lead to Read KC, it’s likely you are aware that medical experts have declared a national emergency in children’s mental health,...
Read for 15 program builds strong readers
Congratulations to all the students who completed 15 weeks of reading for 15 minutes outside of school every day as part of Read for 15! And a big shout-out to the 15 and Mahomies Foundation for launching the program — and to our Reading Mentors for encouraging our...