- A man uses the power of super heroes to inspire Crawfordville neighborhood kids to read.
- He visited kids in Wakulla County Friday.
- Watch the video above to see how the program helps kids.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Have you ever struggled with reading? You’re not alone. I’m Kenzie Krueger in Crawfordville where one man is making reading fun for children and helping them turn the pages so they’re ready for the next chapter.
“I did not like reading at all.” Reading was not always Edward Clark’s favorite activity. “I always struggled with it.”
After his former teacher found a way to make it fun for him, his perspective changed. “My second grade teacher knew that I was struggling with reading and she noticed that I loved superheroes so she started to find small simple books that had superheroes in them.”
That’s when he turned the page and began his love for reading. “And that actually enticed me to want to read more.” Then he began a new chapter where he now comes to classes and shows other children how fun reading can be.
Experts say the nation is experiencing a literacy crisis. Last year, the National Assessment of Education Progress, reported that under half of fourth graders in the U.S. scored at or above a proficient reading level.
There’s ways to prevent this.
Elizabeth Causseux has been teaching for the past 17 years and says activities like this keep the kids engaged. “With them being engaged and having it offered to them, they’ll lose it so if you have a program that comes in and promotes it keeps it in their mind and keeps them learning and moving on with their reading.”
She’s taking the steps to help her own children stick with reading and hopes other parents will do the same. “I read to them every night, I read to my two little girls every night and it’s a bonding time and teaches them at reading is important. That’s what I encourage parents, if they see you doing it, they’ll wanna do it.”
It's making reading something kids get excited about is why Clark does it and he hopes to pass on his passion for reading. “I want to continue to make myself available for all the educational centers and reach out to them to find ways I can manipulate my reading sessions to strengthen the kids and whatever struggles they’re working on.”
If you’re looking for resources check out the Wakulla County Public Library where they offer many resources the county.
