WEST HARTFORD, CONN. (January 14, 2019) – Children’s Reading Partners is seeking volunteers to read one-on-one with at-risk preschoolers in Bloomfield this spring. Its Preschool Pals program matches trained volunteers with children who need extra help to get ready for kindergarten.

Children who lack a strong foundation of literacy skills early in life are more likely to fall behind in school and more likely to drop out.  Reading with a caring adult helps young children develop the skills they need to succeed academically, such as appreciating stories and recognizing letters, words and numbers. 

Preschool Pals volunteers complete a simple application and attend a training session, then select a weekly, 30-minute time slot to read with a child. The program lasts 10 weeks, and anyone age 12 or older can volunteer.

Training sessions will take place Tuesday, February 5 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Thursday, February 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Community Services Building, Zachs Campus, 333 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. Prospective volunteers must attend one of these two sessions. To learn more or to register, please contact Ronni Breiter at 860.727.6129 or rbreiter@jewishhartford.org.

Children’s Reading Partners, part of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, serves at-risk public school students in Hartford, Bloomfield, East Hartford, New Britain and West Hartford and provides reading enrichment to children of all academic abilities at the P. Faith McMahon Wintonbury Library in Bloomfield. Volunteers of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome. Click here to learn more.

Photo caption: Children’s Reading Partners is seeking “Preschool Pals” to read with at-risk preschoolers in Bloomfield. Training sessions for volunteers will take place on February 5 and 7 in West Hartford.