Cornerstone Connection: Reading Rocks ~ how it works Part 1

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Reading Rocks ~ how it works Part 1

I get asked a lot about how Reading Rocks works, and since we developed it here at Cornerstone, I can't really send people somewhere to learn about it!! So, I thought I would do a series blogging this summer about the program for those who are interested.

Reading Rocks began as one of those crazy ideas that God dropped into my brain, similar to Prayer Pals, and God's Girls!! I took His idea and ran with it and now it is one of my favorite things at CCC! We began the summer of 2005, a little over a year after we moved here. I had two wonderful interns that summer who helped me with tons of work to get the program launched. It is gobs of behind the scenes work, and our interns were such a blessing, we couldn't have launched without them! I co-lead this program with Trish, and now Shannon (who has joined us in leadership this summer).

Our school system here in Philly isn't the best, it's actually the worst I have seen. Maybe there are even worse, I would hate to see them. our kids are promoted through grades, when they shouldn't be. Their lack of basic skills is appalling. I tutored a rising 3rd grader who was below Paxton's (6 yr old should be end of K) level at the time. It is so sad.

With that in mind, we wanted something to encourage the kids to both READ and to learn about the Lord at the same time. I began asking for donations of Christian children's books and they poured in! We got many of our books from MUMC's VBS program that first year. We now have over 150 books, and we continue to add as we acquire new books or money to purchase books. Each book has a custom made (created either by me, Trish or interns) comprehension activity that the kids complete when they finish the book.

Children read at their ability level in one of the following categories: Easy Readers, Orange books, Blue books, Challenge Books, or Chapter Books.

Here's a few shots from today, We had a great day, adding 11 more kids, bringing our total up to 33! It was wonderful once again, I love this program. Frank asked me how today went, and my answer was, "Great--I could do this EVERY day!!!" We are so blessed to be the ones who get to carry out God's great idea!

This is J, a chapter book reader and a CCC staff kid! :)

Here's E (on the left), an 11 year old staff kid who is now a part time helper this summer. She is both reading chapter books and helping other kids, that's something new we have begun this year which I will tell more about later in my blogging series.

We are blessed to have Joy helping us this summer, she was one of the wonderful interns who helped begin the whole program back in 2005. She is a grown up staff kid!!!