Everybody Wins! DC

Everybody Wins! is a reading mentoring program available to students in many elementary schools in the District (and other states). Throughout this year, I have been reading once weekly during our “power-lunch” at Brent Elementary with a student that has become very special to me.

The students volunteer to give up their recess period once a week to read with an adult mentor. This is no small sacrifice, yet the majority of the students choose to do it – a testament to their love of reading and their desire to have someone spend some extra time with them, one on one.

During the hour, we read of course, but we also work on vocabulary, make predictions about what will happen next in the story, and decide on which types of books we are most interested in – and which would make us want to read more!

Other literacy programs partner with Everybody Wins to provide free books for the students to keep in their home libraries a few times a year. Mentors may also go to the Scholastic Book Fair with their student reader.

The Everybody Wins program has been a highlight of my year of service as Miss District of Columbia. I am excited to go each week to read and see an enthusiasm for reading and learning. I am also very proud of my student reader for her excellent progress!