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SMART program underway in Sisters
By Jim Cornelius

No skill is more critical for a child's success than the ability to read well. Few activities bring such life-long pleasure.

In Sisters, volunteers are helping to instill a love for reading in young elementary school students through the SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) program.

Volunteer coordinator Clara Hughes is looking for volunteers to come into the school to read to and with students who might be struggling with their reading skills.

Hughes and regional SMART coordinator Christine Currie emphasize that volunteers are not expected to teach children to read. The readers simply offer one-on-one time with students, sharing an adult's love of reading with a child in an effort to inspire and encourage.

"We definitely see this as being able to do more of the good work that the teachers are already doing," Currie said.

Volunteers range in age from "18 to 98," Currie says, and "a lot of them will just say 'books are an integral part of my life.'"

Their inspiration can be vital to children. According to Currie, teachers can identify children in kindergarten and first grade who are already struggling with school and especially with learning reading.

The window of opportunity is narrow. Generally, education's focus is on learning to read up through second grade. From then on, the focus is on reading to learn. If the skills aren't there, if the child doesn't "take" to reading, the chances are he'll fall behind.

That's where the SMART volunteer comes in. Each volunteer spends a half hour with two different students. Each student gets to spend time with a couple of different readers. That way, according to Hughes, students learn that reading is fun and exciting for many different adults.

Students in the SMART program often get a burst of enthusiasm and a big boost in their ability to read. Their enjoyment of and success in school increase.

Volunteers need only a love for reading and a love for helping children to qualify, Hughes said. SMART provides training and monitoring, to make sure that volunteers are comfortable taking on their important role.

Some local businesses, such as Weitech, Inc., make a practice of encouraging employees to volunteer as SMART readers and provide time in the work schedule to allow them to visit the school.

Many volunteers, according to Currie, are retired folks who may live a long way from their grandchildren, who crave some positive interaction with young people.

There will be a volunteer meeting at the Sisters Elementary School Library at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11.

For more information on SMART, contact Clara Hughes at 549-8981.

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