The Reading Connection

Bonds that last forever • TRC volunteer opportunities • Related information

Fund Raisers

Join a select group of individuals who have a strong commitment to the children of The Reading Connection (TRC) and a demonstrated enthusiasm for TRC's mission.

Bonds that last forever

The Reading Connection (TRC) is a literacy outreach program for children living in shelters. By providing reading experiences and access to books, TRC volunteers help children develop a love of books and reading.

Homelessness creates chaos in a child's life. A lack of books, time, and a place to read are some of the many losses a homeless child suffers. Since 1989, The Reading Connection has reinforced literacy development by providing children with the positive book experiences they need to become lifelong readers.

Fostering a desire to read is the single most important effort parents can make to help their children succeed in school. The Reading Connection helps parents and children share books together and value time spent reading. Through books, children can discover new worlds outside shelter walls and take an important step toward academic success and a life filled with the knowledge and joy only books can bring.

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Read Aloud Sessions

Read Aloud Sessions are the heart of The Reading Connection. One night each week, Reading Connection volunteers read and share books with children in one-on-one or small group settings. Book-extension projects and discussion encourage self expression and increase the pleasures books bring. Parents are invited to participate in Read Alouds and see firsthand how much children enjoy books and reading with adults.

The Book Club

To extend literacy support to families in transition, The Reading Connection developed The Book Club—a program that provides books and literacy materials to families during their first year in independent housing. Each month, children receive books of their choice and parents receive resources and tips. These materials go straight to their new home, so parents and kids can continue the learning activities shared with them during their shelter experience. The Book Club provides a sense of continuity and offers tools that foster success in school and inspire families to relax, read, and learn together at home.

Welcome Bags

At their first Read Aloud, children receive handmade Welcome Bags full of high-quality, age-appropriate books, writing materials, and school supplies. At each Read Aloud, children are invited to choose additional books to keep and add to their Welcome Bag collection. Personal book ownership and choice are key factors toward motivation to read and are essential components in literacy development. As children choose more books, they build personal libraries and develop a sense of themselves as readers.

Reading Corners

In each shelter, The Reading Connection creates a literacy-rich environment through Reading Corners. The Corners provide constant access to variety of children's books as well as parent resources about reading with children and adult education opportunities. The warmth of the Reading Corner with its book shelves, reading lamps, artwork, and comfortable rugs and furniture, promotes and welcomes family reading.

Related information

• The Reading Connection: Literacy Development and Homeless Children
  by Eileen Hanning, Assistant Program Director for The Reading Connection, from the Proceedings of the 1996 World Conference on Literacy.
  
  
• Homelessness in the Washington, DC Area.
  
  

The Reading Connection • TRC volunteer opportunities

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