When you spend time reading to a child, he becomes more confident and proficient with reading. Which, in turn, means he’s more apt to read! The more a child reads, the more a child learns and becomes interested in things. As the love of learning increases, so do grades, vocabulary, standardized test scores, even the inclination to sit still and focus—and the chain reaction continues.

The reasons to read to a child are many. But best of all, those reasons last a lifetime.

In measurable studies comparing children who participated in the lunchtime reading program with those who didn’t, the numbers were overwhelmingly clear. In just the first year of participating in the Lunchtime Reading Program alone, nearly every child—98%—improved in the one of more of the following areas: vocabulary, listening comprehension, ability to articulate thoughts, self-confidence, enthusiasm for books, reading by choice, critical thinking, exposure to new ideas, people, and places, interest in reading instruction, and overall reading ability.

For a child who struggles with reading, the benefits are many. Improved reading skills have been proven to raise academics across the board. Even classroom behavior and focus improve.

For the volunteer, the benefit is knowing your small time commitment has changed the life of a child. And, of course, there’s simply the fun of being with children and reading and discussing stories.

For the participating organization, sharing a commitment to a cause—and one that involves kids—is uplifting and inspiring, tightening the feel-good bonds of teamwork.

Please take a look at our list of locations. Is there a Read to a Child® program in a location near you? Great! Recommend our program to the appropriate leaders in your company and encourage them to contact our branch office! If there is no program in your area, check out other ways to Get Involved.

We ask lunchtime reading program volunteers to commit one lunch hour every week to build a rapport between volunteer and student. To allow schedule flexibility, however, volunteers can partner with a coworker to read with their student on alternate weeks.

You can support Read to a Child® in other ways: become a corporate or community supporter, make a tax-deductible donation, make purchases on Amazon.com via this link or just spread the word about Read to a Child to other adults.

First, check to see if your company participates in our program. If so, contact your company point person and tell them that you’d like to make a difference by reading aloud to a child. If not, recommend our program to the appropriate leaders in your organization and suggest they check out our website. If you are not associated with a partnering company, check the main page of our location nearest you to see if volunteering as an individual is an option for you.

We rely on teachers and other school officials from our participating schools to refer students who could most benefit from our program.

Just one lunch hour a week is all it takes to help a child become a better reader and student.