Read to Succeed

Editor's note: The following editorial has been edited to clarify the number of students who participated in the program.

The 2012-2013 school year was another successful one for students participating in the United Way's Read to Succeed program.

The program expanded to all five public elementary schools in Cape Girardeau and reached more than 200 kindergarten and first-grade students. The goal is to help at least 85 percent of the students improve their reading skills by at least one grade level. The United Way said this year's results showed 98 percent of the students improved by at least that margin.

There are many benefits to Read to Succeed. Reading is a foundational skill as students progress in their studies.

Having the program also is an opportunity for members of the community to interact with students and provide positive feedback -- words of encouragement that can make a difference in a child's life.

Several weeks remain before students head back to the classroom for the fall semester, but the United Way continues to recruit volunteers to assist when the program resumes in September. If you are interested, call Read to Succeed program director Monique Johnson at 334-9634 or email readtosucceed@unitedwayofsemo.org.

Books used in the Read to Succeed program, which go through third-grade reading level, may be checked out at the Cape Girardeau and Jackson public libraries.

We hope parents encourage their children to read throughout the summer, continuing a habit that will serve them well in school and life.