Volunteers Needed to Read With Alton Students
Reach Out And Read (ROAR) needs volunteers willing to give Alton elementary students their undivided attention. Director of Curriculum Jody Meggos explains the role and the connections it can create.
ALTON - Community members can empower Alton Community Unit School District #11 elementary schoolers to learn how to read.
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The district’s Reach Out And Read (ROAR) program invites volunteers to come into the schools and listen to elementary school students read every morning. From 7:30–8 a.m., volunteers sit with students and encourage them as they read aloud. The district is looking for more volunteers as the program prepares to kick off the 2026–2027 school year.
“It’s an amazing experience. I feel like once [volunteers] come the first time, they’re hooked and they’re coming back very frequently,” said Director of Curriculum Jody Meggos. “I think the adults leave feeling really great about themselves, but the students leave feeling great about themselves, too, for what they’ve accomplished. They feel like they’re being celebrated in a little way by someone they may not know too well but who took time out of their day to just come and be with them. It’s been amazing.”
The ROAR program started over a decade ago but lost some of its volunteers following the COVID-19 pandemic. Meggos hopes this year will be a chance to “get it going back in the right direction” and expand the initiative with more volunteers.
She explained that the program gives students the opportunity to practice their reading skills. They receive explicit reading instruction in the classroom, but ROAR allows them to build on those skills.
When students arrive at school, they can eat breakfast before meeting with volunteers. They are then paired with a volunteer so they can read aloud for about five minutes. The more volunteers who show up in the morning, the more students who have this opportunity.
Anyone can volunteer. Schools have welcomed senior citizens, high school students, and everyone in between. Sometimes, Alton firefighters or police officers come by, and students are always excited to see the firetrucks or police cars.
Volunteers Steve and Becky Pace have encouraged their fellow church members at Christway Church to join them. Steve and Becky agree it’s fulfilling to work with the students.
“I think one of the highlights for me about the whole process is we have grandchildren, but they live in other states, and so we don’t get to do things as often with them. And being able to go over to North Elementary School and know that we’re making an impact on a kid’s future with being able to read is just exciting,” Becky said.
Steve echoed her, adding that the ROAR program is a great opportunity for older adults to connect with the youth. He shared that it’s been a powerful experience to encourage the kids.
“It’s neat because they will get to know you, and their eyes light up whenever they see you, and they run to you,” he said. “Each kid kind of has their favorite, and they’ll almost fight over which person they want to go to because they all have different favorites. You get to know them, too.”
This is equally exciting to Meggos, who loves to see the kids and volunteers build relationships. She added that volunteers need no teaching experience, but simply must be prepared to “give their undivided attention to a student who’s going to just appreciate that they’re there to be part of their day.”
Meggos, Becky and Steve highlighted the value of connecting children to an adult who cares about them. They noted that this encouragement empowers the students in their learning, but it also reminds them that they’re important and valued members of the school community.
“Reading opens up the future. A kid who learns to read as soon as they can, the sky’s the limit,” Steve added. “You never know what a kid’s facing, either. And just to have someone who says, ‘Hey, I care about you’ — that could mean the world to them.”
Community members who want to know more about volunteering can reach out to Meggos at jmeggos@altonschools.org. She can answer any questions and connect you to your preferred school. Volunteers typically dedicate 30 minutes for up to four days a week.
This featured article is sponsored by the Alton Community Unit School District #11. To get your business or organization featured on RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
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