Philly Reading Coaches (PRC), part of Philadelphia’s Citywide Out of School Time Initiative, provides positive reading experiences by pairing young children with volunteers for fun, one-on-one reading sessions. For one hour each week, students in kindergarten through third grade sit down with a community volunteer to read together. Each child also receives 25 free books to take home and continue discovering the joys of reading.
The program launched in early 2018 at three pilot sites, and is now growing! This school year, PRC is looking for volunteers at 20 new and returning locations.
Andrew Hamilton School in West Philadelphia was one of the pilot locations for PRC, and this school year its doors have opened once again to host after-school reading time. Returning coaches like Kathleen and Phyllis, and new coaches alike, are heading to Hamilton this year.
Kathleen says she “really enjoy[s] making time for [Philly Reading Coaches].” Last school year, Kathleen was paired with a student named Tyquan, and now the dynamic reading duo is reunited to explore more books.
Together, Kathleen and Tyquan, who is now in second grade, like to laugh about funny books, chat about interesting illustrations, and sometimes discover fun facts about the parts of speech and rhyme schemes.
Kathleen says Tyquan has gained a greater interest in reading and has improved his focus: “He really wants me to be proud of him. You can see that he is choosing books that are a little more challenging every week.”
Kathleen has also noticed the major impact that PRC has had on her life. “[PRC] was becoming the highlight of my week, something that I really looked forward to,” she explains. “I didn’t even realize it until I was excited to tell everyone about it.”
Tyquan is enjoying PRC just as much as his reading buddy is! He says he “love[s] to read with Miss Kathleen and ask [her] questions.” When we sat down to talk with Kathleen, Tyquan joined us with a card he drew to let her know that he had read over the weekend and that he loves reading with her.
Phyllis, another returning reading coach at Hamilton, notes that the best part of the program is “seeing the excitement on kids’ faces when they’re picking books out and when they get to bring them home.”
Phyllis got involved with PRC because she was looking for “direct service opportunities.”
“I love to read and this is a chance to share that with a child,” Phyllis said.
Phyllis said she has worked with various students during her time as a Philly Reading Coach and has spent time with students who don’t have books of their own at home. Seeing those students bring 25 books home and build their own library, Phyllis said, is a rewarding thing to witness.
Philly Reading Coaches thrives on fun reading experiences between children and their coaches, like Kathleen and Phyllis. Now that the program has grown, there are more openings for coaches! If you’re interested in reading with young students like Tyquan, sign up to volunteer for Philly Reading Coaches today.
Reading sessions take place after school between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in several schools, recreation centers, Police Athletic League (PAL), and Free Library of Philadelphia sites all across the city. Sites are coming soon to Philadelphia Housing Authority and Project HOME sites as well. Visit the Philly Reading Coaches website for an up-to-date listing of places you can volunteer.
