Read to a child! It is one of the most important things that you can do to positively impact their future. Yet for hundreds of HISD students, there is no one to read to them, no one to listen to them read and no one to reinforce what they are learning in class while outside of school.

Read Houston Read (RHR) is a volunteer program designed to support HISD's Literacy By 3 initiative, which aims to have all students reading on level by the end of 3rd grade. Aligned with the community to avert Houston’s literacy crisis, Read Houston Read volunteers help students develop a love for reading through the magic of books.

Materials are provided in partnership with the Children’s Museum Houston (CMH) and are vetted to complement what students are learning in class. Using a proven system, volunteers lead students through activities that assist in building fluency, comprehension, phonics, and spelling skills. 

Due to the pandemic, the Read Houston Read Program will resume online this school year. As such, you can inspire students to read without ever leaving your home or place of business.  All it takes is an Internet connection and 30 minutes to an hour of your time each week.  As a Read Houston Read volunteer, you will mentor two 1st grade students conducting a live read aloud session as follow.

READ ALOUD SESSION:

• Share an adventure reading a book to the students
• Participate in a fun activity that directly relates to the story 
• Encourage students to read as you listen to them share their own book

To conduct a virtual session, volunteers will use the Microsoft Teams platform to connect with students and MackinVIA to access the resources online.

Working with the same students throughout the school year, volunteers can make a real difference in the life of a child. As mentors, volunteers have the power to build relationships that make lasting impressions on students’ self-esteem, ability to learn, and ultimate success. 

Become a Read Houston Read mentor and motive family, friends, and neighbors to join you in eradicating illiteracy in Houston - one book at a time!

Visit the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation (BBHLF) Connect4Literacy website to see a list of participating HISD schools. Alternatively, you may view Read Houston Read school locations in a full screen map.

For more information, visit: https://www.houstonisd.org/readhoustonread