If there is one thing that all children need at some point or another, it’s a haircut. Our hair just continues to grow, but not every child enjoys sitting in the chair and being still while the haircut takes place.
One barbershop is making a difference. Not only are they getting kids to sit still, they are giving parents a discount. They are offering a two dollar discount for kids who read books aloud to the barber while their hair is being cut.
A lot of times, the discount given to the parents goes into the pockets of the children!
As the owner of the barbershop puts it, parents love it and the kids love getting the two dollars. They also get plenty of compliments from teachers.
The kids at this barbershop don’t read just any book. The shop caters to diverse communities and their literary selection is specifically themed. Their books have positive images of black people, regardless of whether they are athletes, astronauts or writers. They currently have 75-100 rotating titles.
This idea may seem novel but it has been done in many areas before this barbershop started doing it. He got the idea from those other barbershops and he loved the concept.
When he made the decision to start giving the discount, he began bringing in old books that were lying around the house and telling parents about the deal.
It wasn’t long before the community embraced the idea. As a matter of fact, new customers have come into the shop specifically because of the reading program. Older kids even bring in their books that they have outgrown.
Little children also get in on the action. When they are not old enough to read, they see an older child with the book and they grab a book also.
The barbershop owner tracks the progress of the children who participate. If the child is not able to finish the book in one session, they simply pick up where they left off when they come in for their next haircut. In that way, he can see if they are improving in their reading comprehension.
He feels that it really helps to build the child’s confidence to read out loud.
The barbershop owner recognises that they are making a positive impact now but he is really looking forward to the future. In his words:
“If we can get kids to come back to the Fuller Cut as adults in college and they tell us, ‘Because you guys had us read here, it made me want to be a writer or journalist,’ that’s really the end goal.”
Via: Huffington Post
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