The Chic Guide: What is Winn Reading?
Kay Limbach, Founder of Winn Reading: Winn Reading is a literacy nonprofit with a group of volunteers passionate about helping children with reading. Our mission is to improve reading skills, confidence and enjoyment for emergent readers in our region.
The Chic Guide: What’s the inspiration behind it?
Limbach: Winn Reading was started in 2021 to help children improve their reading skills. Due to Covid, many schools closed and went to online learning or a hybrid schedule during the 2020-2021 school year. Many students did not pick up a chrome book from their home schools and did not attend school online. As a result, these students became behind in reading.
The Chic Guide: Who’s behind it?
Limbach: Kay Limbach is the founder and President of Winn Reading. Kay has a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. She has taught elementary grades K-3rd grade, taught preschool and worked as a private tutor before beginning Winn Reading.
The Chic Guide: What reading/tutoring services do you provide?
Limbach: Winn Reading goes into the schools to help students with reading skills. Our Literacy Mentors commit to one or two hours a week to work with small groups of children with needed reading skills. Winn Reading did a summer Story Time at The Tome Bookstore in Mt. Washington from May 2022-August 2022 once a week. Literacy Mentors with Winn Reading tutored children in reading at the Jeff Wyler Boys and Girls Club over the past summer.
The Chic Guide: How is Winn Reading making an impact on the community?
Limbach: Children should be able to read before they enter third grade. We strive to help children from preschool to third grade learn to read so they will find reading enjoyable and fun. A child who learns to read in his early years has a better chance of being successful in the classroom, and has a better chance of graduating from high school. This is the impact we want Winn Reading to make in our community.
The Chic Guide: What makes Winn Reading unique?
Limbach: Many of our Literacy Mentors are retired teachers who value reading and wish to help children become more proficient in reading. Winn Reading is also unique because we go into the schools during the school day and help students needing extra help. Our Literacy Mentors work with the same child or group of children weekly so they form a relationship with them.
The Chic Guide: Is there anything new on the horizon?
Limbach: Yes! We plan to lead a Fall and Holiday Story Time at The Tome Bookstore in Mt. Washington on a Saturday in October and December.
The Chic Guide: Where can readers go to learn more and follow along?
Limbach: On our website, Instagram, or Facebook.
