CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Read Aloud West Virginia is getting ready to celebrate 40 years of introducing children to the joys of reading statewide.
The program puts volunteers in classrooms around the state to show kids that reading for pleasure can be fun.
“It’s a lot of fun to do because we do it through recruiting volunteers who we match with classrooms, who go into the classroom at the appointed time by the teacher every week, and they read to the children, just for pleasure,” Read Aloud West Virginia Executive Director Dawn Miller said last week on 580 Live with Dave Allen.
Miller said that the mere act of exposing students to books outside the typical educational setting can spark an interest. Once a child decides to pick up something to read on their own, the benefits just come from there.
“When we do that with kids, we model good, fluent reading, and then they get interested in the books that we share with them, and then we help put books in their hands, and the next thing you know, when they have some time on their own, they’re reading on their own, which builds their vocabulary and their reading comprehension, and then they’re off and running, able to seize all the opportunities in life,” she said.
Read Aloud also takes pride in helping kids find topics they are interested in and then providing them with books about them. Miller believes that is a giant step in cultivating the next generation of avid readers.
“It really makes a difference in the relationships and attitude that a child spends with books,” she said.
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Read Aloud West Virginia, the organization is hosting “Readapalooza 2026” at the Erma Byrd Gallery at the University of Charleston on Thursday, April 2. It’s a casual event that doubles as a fundraiser and a commemoration of Read Aloud.
“We’ll have a few drinks. We’ll eat a few hors d’oeuvres and visit with each other. Read Aloud readers and volunteers and supporters love to talk about the program, books we’re reading, and where we’re going from here,” Miller said.
Tickers to Readapalooza are $45 in advance when purchased through the Read Aloud West Virginia website and $50 at the door. Attendees can also purchase a $20 wine pull ticket and choose a mystery bottle of wine guaranteed to be worth at least $20 at the event.