English classes read to Henley kindergarteners

Oct. 2, 2024 / Henley High School senior Josh Rose sat on the floor in a kindergarten classroom surrounded by three boys, who listened intently as he read a book about lions.

“I ask them questions and engage them,” he said. “I think the best part is adding a bit of spin to the story.”

Rose is one of nearly 90 Henley High School students who spend an hour reading with kindergarteners at Henley Elementary School as part of a program that provides free books to students each week.

Students in the 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade advanced English classes volunteer as SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) readers, a statewide program that aims to get students reading at grade-level by the time they exit third-grade. SMART provides books for students and every other week students are allowed to pick a book and take it home for their personal library.

Advanced English teacher Lisa Stringer walked with her senior class to the school last week. The students divided into the three kindergarten classrooms, reading to individual or small groups of students. This is the third year Henley English students have read weekly to kindergarteners and the second year the program has worked with SMART.

Stringer and fellow English teachers Shaila Walker and Erin Haney rotate taking their advanced English classes to the elementary school on Thursdays to read. 

Stringer three years ago started providing opportunities for her high school students to read to the kindergarteners as a way to build community on the campus and provide one-on-one and small group reading experiences for Henley’s youngest students.

“It began with students who wanted to volunteer their time during our power tutorials every other Thursday, and then last year we were able to make it consistent with our classes visiting every Thursday,” she said.

It’s also good for the high school students, Stringer added. “It is building their communication, patience, and leadership skills,” she said.