Eli Escobar interviewed Jacque Daughtry, Executive Director of Literacy Now and Sauntrice Jones, school principal for HISD Head Start. Their organization provides opportunities to under-served children that address the needs of the whole child – academic, social, and emotional – and to include their families in the process. They have different programs they offer and are currently working with 11 HISD schools with students between Kindergarten through third grade. The Reading Intervention program provides individualized, small group reading tutorials for at-risk students in grades K – 2, with the goal of creating proficient readers by the end of 3rd grade. The Lunch Bunch mentoring program connects students with volunteer mentors to help them navigate one of the most difficult times of life which is adolescence. In March they plan to kick of Houston Reads Day, in which many volunteers will read books virtually do the different grades levels at different schools.
