High school reading 'heroes'

Everyone should have a hero.

The “Heroes Program” employs nearly a dozen high school students from Willows and Orland to aide in a seasonal reading program for Head Start. The program will conclude its first year Monday.

“This was our first year with the ‘Heroes’ in (Glenn County), so it was kind of an experiment,” said Lynzie Lowe, an intern with Head Start. “I think it turned out really well.”

“Heroes” is a Friday Night Live child literacy program, sponsored by the Glenn County Office of Education. Since February, high school students from Willows and Orland have been working with preschoolers, helping them develop reading skills, once a week.

“The students are like big brothers or sisters for our little guys,” said April Hine, the FNL program coordinator. ”Generally, a high school student will read to the kids from one of our selected books.” Following group reading, kids break into small group activities that are directly related to the book they read.

Ana Franco, an Orland High School junior, said sharing time and experiences with young kids is fun and rewarding. “Working here teaches you to interact with people better and it’s really rewarding,” she said.

Diana Talamantes, a junior at Willows High, said she particularly enjoyed listening to the preschoolers and hearing their perceptions. “They see the world much differently than you and me see it,” Talamantes said. “It’s always interesting what they come up with.”

Kristina Burnham, a Willows senior, said she was surprised at the skill levels of many of the preschoolers, who range in age from 2 to 4 years old. “It’s surprising to watch some of these little kids and see how talented they are at things like painting or drawing, they’re really inspiring.”

All three “heroes” plan to return to the program next year.

The Head Start program provides grants to various agencies to provide child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families. The program focuses on helping preschoolers develop early reading and math skills.