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YMCA Hosts “Read Across America” Contest to Reduce COVID Learning Loss

YMCA staff member Carol Robinson Cintron of the Before and After SACC program encourages Kamyla Mason, age 5, and Axel Sandoval, age 10, to read and earn their “Reading Links” as part of the contest, The project is hosted by at the YMCA Virtual/ Before and After Schools Programs.

March is “Read Across America Month.” To mark the occasion, the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA is sponsoring a contest to promote youngsters’ reading. The contest is being held throughout the month of March at sites at which the Y provides Child Care services. These include elementary schools in Haleyville, Buena, Quinton, Collings Lakes, Deerfield, Cleary, and Mullica Township. Three schools in Somers Point are part of the program. The Millville and Vineland charter schools are also participating. The YMCA’s own Preschool rounds out the list. Kids aged three to 13 are involved.

The contest winner will be the site with the highest percentage of books that have been read. Parents have been given links to record each book that their children have read or been read to. When parents enter the books that have been read, these are linked as a chain. The YMCA’s goal is to see how long the chain can grow; the sites are attempting to win the grand prize, a pizza party.

Theresa Booth, the Y’s senior director of Child Development, said, “Research has shown that COVID learning loss has placed students significantly behind where we would expect their reading levels. The Read Across America Month contest is one way that we can encourage parents to engage their children in reading and to give the students a fun goal.”

For more information the Read Across America program, please call the Booth at 856-691-0030, extension 113 or check ccaymca.org.