Over 6,500 elementary students went home with two new opportunities to improve their reading at home: they received their free, brand-new books from READ USA Book Fairs!
Thanks to major funding from Duval County Public Schools and also private donors, READ USA Book Fairs have so far visited 14 schools, with just over 60 more schools to visit before May 9th! Join us in the fun!
Sign up to volunteer at the upcoming Book Fairs!
Specifically, Team READ USA is grateful to the Unitarian Universalist Church congregation, who sponsored the Arlington Heights Elementary Book Fair last week – and also volunteered throughout the day! Their ongoing support helps make the ability to level the playing field for all students possible by providing free books through the READ USA Book Fairs. We are forever thankful for you!
If the financial support of DCPS and our donors are the engine behind the Book Fairs, it’s our wonderful volunteers who are the wheels that keep the Book Fairs turning. It is our dedicated volunteers – many of whom have been with READ USA for several years and keep returning because of their love for literacy, books, and students – who truly keep the READ USA Book Fairs running smoothly and we are immensely thankful for your volunteerism and support!
Our wonderful volunteers at Southside Estates Elementary School
We also want to give a special shoutout to the Waterleaf Elementary PTA for volunteering at their school’s Book Fair last week – and also for sharing a wonderful reel on Instagram! Your team did a fabulous job at the Book Fair, and we appreciate you sharing the fun on social media!
We have 27,500+ more students to visit in the coming weeks, so the fun is just getting started! We hope you will join us!
Get to Know: Moya Allen, Book Fair Lead Volunteer
Moya Allen is one of those young adults who, when you meet her, you just know she is going to succeed at anything she does in her future!
Moya, who is generously volunteering her time as one of our wonderful READ USA Book Fair Lead Volunteers this year, also serves as a tutor in our Literacy Tutoring program. For the past three years, Moya has helped numerous elementary students not only become proficient in reading, but to learn to love reading and all that it can open in their future. Moya’s calm, understanding approach to tutoring resonates with her students, and we are thankful that Moya has continued to return to READ USA semester after semester – even while she’s in college!
Moya shared with us why she works with READ USA:
“I volunteer at READ USA Book Fairs because I want to help students discover a love for reading. I really believe our relationship with something shapes how we feel about it. If reading feels like a chore for them, they’ll avoid it, but if it’s presented as fun and rewarding, it changes their perspective. All it takes is one book or series to spark a lifelong love of reading, and if I can be a part of that moment for a student, then I know I’ve made a difference.” (And we know you have most definitely made a difference, Moya!)
“I’ve been a READ USA tutor since 2022, and it’s been incredible to see how just 35-minute sessions, three times a week, can transform a student’s relationship with reading. Seeing that growth firsthand has been a blessing.”
Thank you, Moya, for your ongoing service to our students! You help make READ USA and our mission shine brightly!
Thank You, Kids Hope Alliance!
We had the wonderful opportunity to introduce two Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) Board members to our fantastic teen tutors and the students they serve at Lake Lucina Elementary the other week, and we are very grateful for the time they took with Team READ USA!
Connie Hodges, the former president and CEO of United Way of Northeast Florida, joined us alongside KHA Chief Administrative Officer Kenneth Darity. She shared how she was impressed with our tutors’ knowledge and how they function practically as teachers! Connie has been involved in community- and children’s-focused initiatives for many years during her career, and she previously served on the Jacksonville Children’s Commission. She has been a driver in bringing our community together to address pressing needs, so it was an honor to show her the return on KHA’s investment in Literacy Tutoring.
Lawrence Dennis is a former teacher, principal, and regional superintendent of Duval County Public Schools (DCPS), so he knows intimately how the school district witnesses inspiring successes every day. Likewise, he also knows the challenges that our education system faces nationally with elementary-aged grade-level reading proficiency. Team READ USA was proud and grateful to be able to show him and KHA Chief Strategy Officer Rodger Belcher how Literacy Tutoring not only builds elementary students’ literacy skills, but it also prepares our teen tutors to enter the workforce with robust workforce development opportunities. To someone whose “true passion lies in working with young people,” as he has shared before, it was a privilege to show him how Team READ USA has the same passion – at every level of our organization!
Thank you, Connie, Lawrence, Kenneth, and Rodger, for joining us at Literacy Tutoring and meeting our team, and thank you to our wonderful teachers, tutors, and students at Lake Lucina Elementary for making them feel so welcome!
Team READ USA Presents to Duval County Council of PTAs
Thank you to the Duval County Council of PTAs for welcoming READ USA!
Our very own Stephanie Darilus, Senior Director of Operations, was invited to speak at the Duval County Council of PTAs General Meeting held at the Duval County School Board building. Presidents of PTAs across Duval County come together through the Duval County Council of PTAs, and we were thankful for the opportunity to share information about the READ USA Book Fairs visiting their schools.
“The PTA presidents and members who attended were so enthusiastic about the READ USA Book Fairs – it was a joy to meet them all!” shared Stephanie. “Many of them had previously volunteered at a READ USA Book Fair and shared how great of an experience it was, which was wonderful to hear, and that they were excited about the opportunity to volunteer again at future events. One PTA member even shared how thrilled her kids were to receive the two free books – which is music to our ears!”
Thank you to the Duval County Council of PTAs for welcoming Team READ USA to your meeting! A special thank you to Jennifer Gabut, 1st Vice President of Programs for the Duval County Council of PTAs, for the invitation to attend.
Children’s Book: Touch the Poem by Arnold Adoff
Illustrated by Lisa Desimini
Touch the Poem is a rigorous and engaging poetry collection by Arnold Adoff. This book invites young readers to experience poetry through their senses, exploring themes of nature, emotions, and everyday life in a captivating and interactive way.
Adoff uses free verse, which features a rich, rhythmic flow, making each poem feel dynamic and alive. Adoff’s creative arrangement of words often forms visual patterns, reinforcing movement and energy. This innovative approach makes poetry more accessible for children and encourages a deeper, more personal connection with the text.
The poems in Touch the Poem celebrate the richness of language and the beauty of simple moments—whether it is the sound of laughter, the taste of a favorite dish, or the comforting warmth of a hug.
Adoff’s sensory-rich writing allows readers to experience the poems beyond the words on a page. The writing invokes the reader to interact with the poems and metaphorically “touch” them as the title suggests.
Submitted by Judy Howard, READ USA Michael Ward & Jennifer Glock Literacy Institute Senior Director
Parent Education Corner: Building Skills Through Poetry with Timothy Rasinski
Timothy Rasinski is a professor of literacy education at Kent State University and director of its award-winning reading clinic. He has written over 200 articles; authored, co-authored, and edited over 50 books; and written curriculum programs on reading education.
Dr. Rasinski is a highly recognized literacy expert, specifically in the areas of fluency, comprehension, and word study. And, he has strongly advocated for poetry as a powerful tool to enhance reading skills.
Through research and practice, Rasinski confirmed that poetry effectively builds fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and a love for reading. He emphasizes prosody, which is the expressive and rhythmic reading of text. His research highlights several key ways that poetry supports literacy development.
Here are some activities related to Rasinski’s research to try at home:
Poetry and Word Study (Phonics & Vocabulary)
Activity
- Pick a poem with common phonics patterns or word families (e.g., -ight words like “bright” and “light”).
- Highlight these words and discuss patterns.
- Have your child brainstorm other words in the same pattern.
- Discuss how rhythm and melody help with fluency.
Writing and Performing Original Poems
Activity
- Have your child write his/her own short, rhythmic poems.
- If your child is younger, provide support by letting them dictate the poem to you.
- Encourage them to read their poems aloud with expression.
- Encourage your child to perform their poems for family and friends.
Submitted by Judy Howard, READ USA Michael Ward & Jennifer Glock Literacy Institute Senior Director
Do you have any questions or ideas for the Parent Education Corner? Anything you’d like to learn? Let us know here!