COVID-19 has shifted and reshaped life as we know it. From the C-Suite to the classroom, virtual interaction is becoming our new normal. To combat the summer learning loss that elementary school students can experience, Vello’s virtual summer reading program is the tool that every parent needs to combat summer learning loss, keep kids on track and ultimately fight poverty in our region.
Adapting to change can be challenging, but the future lies within the education of our kids. Parents should not have to choose between work and furthering their children's learning during the crucial summer months. Research indicates that during the summer months, students in 3rd to 5th grades lose, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading, an issue that’s expected to be exacerbated by current school closings due to COVID-19. Grade level reading is a key leading indicator of a student’s likelihood of graduating from high school – in fact, students who cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade are four-times more likely to drop out of high school than those who are proficient readers.
We want to ensure that all children have the literacy skills they need to be able to thrive in college, their career, and as global citizens.
This is where our newly piloted Vello summer reading program comes into play—to help families support their child’s literacy development. Vello is a free virtual summer reading program that helps students stay on track with reading goals ahead of school re-openings this fall. As part of United Way’s Early Grade Literacy programming, Vello pairs children with trained virtual reading mentors. Together, students and vetted volunteers read e-books twice a week.
Vello not only helps students learn to read proficiently through the weekly guided reading sessions but also empowers teachers, parents and caregivers with innovative, easy-to-use literacy tools and provides students with 24/7 access to an extensive 50,000 book e-library for themselves and their family members-helping form valuable reading habits in and out of the classroom.
The program is currently running through August 27, and registering your children is easier than ever, but time is running out! The deadline to register your child is Monday, July 13. For more information and to register, click here.