HISD’s Read Houston Read program just completed its first full year of operations, in which first-graders are paired up with adult mentors to build students’ literacy skills.

In the June 2015 edition of “HISD Up Close,” Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones checks in with HISD Curriculum Specialist Carly Colton and Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Director Neil Bush for an update on the program’s status.

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Colton said that teachers have definitely noticed an increase in literacy skills among virtually all participating students, and she complimented the program for helping children build relationships with other readers who could also serve as role models.

Bush, who serves as a Read Houston Read volunteer himself, called his weekly sessions with a student at Scarborough Elementary School “probably the most joyful thing I did all week.”

“It’s just 30 minutes, once a week,” he added, “but she really showed improvement.”

In the coming school year, Colton said the district plans to expand the program to serve more students, but volunteers can still work with children at 18 select campuses over the summer.

For more information, please visit the Read Houston Read website.