When it comes to Raising Readers, parents and caregivers have lots of help outside of school.
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READ JAX
One example is Read Jax. It launched in 2022 with the goal of improving third-grade reading scores in Duval County. Read Jax uses the slogan “Twenty minutes a day paves the way” and encourages children to read, or be read to, twenty minutes daily.
LINK: https://readjax.org/
KIDS HOPE ALLIANCE
Jacksonville’s Kids Hope Alliance plans to use a nearly $6 million grant from the U.S. Treasury to get more books to under-resourced communities. The five-year grant will be used to send nurses or pediatricians into communities for wellness checks, along with books to give to the families they serve.
LINK: https://www.kidshopealliance.org/
FIRST COAST YMCA
The First Coast YMCA is part of a state-wide reading campaign in Florida. The “New Worlds Reading Initiative” allows eligible students from VPK to fifth grade to get a free book every month. Local YMCAs host literacy events and workshops with games, food, tips, and tools to help families support their young readers.
LINK: https://fcymca.org/programs/child-care/ymca-reads/
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS – DUVAL READS
Communities in Schools just celebrated 35 years of helping kids graduate. Since 1999, CIS has run the “Duval Reads” program to provide elementary school kids with one-on-one and small group tutoring with the support of AmeriCorps tutors. Their goal is to help students improve their reading skills by at least 10% during the school year.
LINK: https://cisjax.org/student-support-services-and-programs/#literacy
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
The Jacksonville Jaguars do their part to get kids excited about reading through their “Literacy Locker Room” events. Players visit schools, read to kids, and give out books. Since 2024, the team has donated almost 4,000 books to local kids.
The Jaguars’ mascot is also a bookworm. Jaxson de Ville released a children’s book called “Jaxson’s Big Jump.” The book walks kids through how the Hall of Fame mascot gets ready for games, including his high-flying stadium stunts.
DA MILLION DOLLAR VOICE ACADEMY
A local man is using his gift of gab to build more confident readers in the classroom. Octavius Davis is an entrepreneur and professional voice actor who created “Da Million Dollar Voice Academy” in 2024. The course is for students up to the eighth grade. Davis focuses on comprehension, creative writing, speed reading, and fun.
“To see how these kids are taking to this program and really diving in, transitioning into doing character voices, excited about being timed to do read for speed, it’s very fulfilling for me. It reminds me of the promise that I made to my 14-year-old self when I first was inspired to become a voice actor,” Davis said.
Kids in the program write their own stories and then get on the mic and share them with their classmates.
“I like Mr. O and I like reading from the microphone and reading in front of class,” student Nehemiah Scott-Robinson said. “It’s fun because we get a prize.”
Two hundred kids have completed the eight-week program.
DA MILLION DOLLAR VOICE ACADEMY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093431023255
PREVIOUS STORY: https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/voice-acting-build-confident-readers-classroom/ZESRYPIZFRE6RKFWYE65RQA6OI/
JAX LIBRARY READ TO A THERAPY DOG
One of the great things about dogs is they don’t mind if you don’t recognize a word or have to sound it out, they just love hanging out with you and a good book. The Jacksonville Public Library has a recurring program where kids can come in to read to a therapy dog. The Jacksonville Humane Society has a similar program called “Pawsitive Reading” where people can read to animals in the shelter. They say the sound of people reading calms the animals.
LINK: https://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/events?term=dog&r=thismonth
LINK: https://jaxhumane.org/get-involved/education/pawsitive-reading
MORE FROM JAX LIBRARY
The Jacksonville Public Library offers programs, events, and activities for children year-round. Families can access a ton of free digital resources including educational games with a library card. The Jax Library also partners with the Library Foundation of Jacksonville to offer the JaxKids Book Club. The program provides backpacks filled with books to all registered VPK students in Jacksonville to get them excited about reading and visiting the library.
LINK: https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/
JaxKids Book Club: https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/jaxkids-book-club
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