Springfield Republican: Springfield students rack up the summer reading minutes, as part of program to increase literacy
By Dave Roback
Molly Goren-Watts of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission recently tested the children of the South End Community Center Summer Program on their math and reading skills.
And she learned in the past three weeks, the children had read for a total of 222,000 minutes, so they don't let learning slip during the summer. The total will be updated in another three weeks.
About 11,000 students are taking part in the program which was promoted by Sally Fuller, project director of Reading Success by 4thGrade, Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Allison Gearing Kalill of Brightside for Families and Children, part of the Sisters of Providence Health System.
Springfield Reads to Build a Better World was developed as a collaboration of summer learning providers from community-based programs, the Springfield Public Schools Early Start program for rising third graders and the Springfield City Library. Books that are being read by children in the Springfield Public Schools Early Start program were supplied by the Sisters of Providence through a bequest to Brightside for Families and Children from a donor who wished to provide greater access to books for children.