Walnut Bend students learn the love of reading from community volunteers

Neil Bush with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation reads to a class at Walnut Bend ES

Neil Bush with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation reads to a class at Walnut Bend ES

Pre-K and first-graders at Walnut Bend Elementary celebrated the love of reading Monday with the help of volunteers from Phillips 66 and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. The day marked the birthday of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, and was National Read Across America Day.

Children hear from their parents and their teachers every day how they need to learn how to read. When volunteers from the community come in, giving of their time, it provides a different perspective and illustrates just how important reading is.

“Reading is fundamental, it’s a foundational skill,” said Neil Bush of the Foundation. “It’s got to be taught to kids before they leave third grade so that they can read to learn from fourth grade on.”

Reading is important to children’s futures, but it is also an adventure. The 18 volunteers from Phillips 66, with the help of the teachers at Walnut Bend ES, hoped to show the students how fun reading can be.

“We should not only teach them how to read, but help them to fall in love with reading,” said Walnut Bend ES principal Michele Dahlquist.

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