Blog #4

Two hallmarks that I think are consistent with Reading Parters are “We honor the dignity and sacredness of each person” & “We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life”. I think all of them apply in some way but I find these two to be the ones that relate to Reading Partners the most. A lot of these kids are underprivileged and their reading skills are a result of that. They’re a product of their circumstances and they’ve been overlooked by the government. The fact that these children’s poor education is a result of their area code or their parents financial status breaks my heart which is why I’m so excited to be working w Reading Partners. These two hallmarks coincide with the fundamental beliefs of the founders and volunteers.
The hallmark, “We honor the dignity and sacredness of each person”, related to Reading Partners because we don’t care where these kids are from, who their parents are, or what their background is like. We don’t believe that any of that should have anything to do with the kind of education these kids receive. The school points out the kids that are 6+ months behind their grade level and we do what we can to help them. We believe that they deserve the same skills and education as any other kid regardless of any of the external factors that usually come into play. I referenced a Ted Talk in one of my previous blog entries. The speaker was referring to the beggars in his country as “bonsai people”. He said that their seed is as good as any other persons seed, the only difference between being that society never gave them room to grow. At Reading Partners, we believe that these kids seeds are as good as any other seeds. We respect them and we’re trying to give them what society and the government never did, room to grow. 

The hallmark, “We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life”, I think definitely relates to Reading Partners. If kids can’t read at their grade level, how can we expect them to learn and comprehend at their grade level? Reading is the foundation for all future education. If these kids are behind in their reading, that will affect them later on in life and will impact their education negatively. Reading Partners works with kids to strengthen their reading skills so that they may be the best learners they can be both now, and in the future. Two terms that are used a lot in the program are “life long readers” & “life long learners”. The organization strives to help educate children, not just today, but teach them how to educate themselves going forward.

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