Reader’s Theater workers model Christ-like patience

Posted: 11/10/06

Reader’s Theater workers
model Christ-like patience

By Miranda Bradley

Children at Heart Foundation

ROUND ROCK—Asking a child with a speech impediment to read aloud could be a recipe for disaster, making him a prime target for ridicule.

Instead, as he nervously reads It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, he is assisted through his stumbling by another child.

Encouraging children to help one another is one way Texas Baptist Children’s Home, which sponsors the after-school Reader’s Theater program at Round Rock’s Gattis Elementary School, teaches Christian principles by example.

Workers cannot promote their religious beliefs among students at the public school, but that doesn’t keep them from sharing their faith through actions, said Sarah Eubank, HOPE program supervisor.

“We just try to be an example of God’s love by accepting these kids where they are,” she said.

Reader’s Theater began five years ago through Texas Baptist Children’s Home HOPE program, with the goal to build the confidence of the school’s less-capable readers. Teachers select students they feel could benefit from the program. Through time, creativity and patience, Eubank said, she sees great progress in students they serve.

“One girl came here and spoke in a whisper, so you could barely hear her. She was very shy,” she said.

“The next year, she came back as a leader. She was ready to stand in front of the class and read.”

As children become more proficient in their skills, the program encourages them to reach new levels. First, it’s reading out loud in a circle. Next, they recite lines from a play in front of the class. By the end of the semester, HOPE staff brings in props, and the students perform an entire piece.

“We want to build on their reading skills,” Eubank said. “By the end, they are much more confident and able to read out loud. It’s a wonderful transformation.”

HOPE provides outreach to apartment communities throughout the Round Rock area, offering children a place to focus their energy and time. They also assist with financial relief, referrals and other resources for hurting families.

Recently, HOPE also began providing parenting classes through other area schools.

“We’re here to help the community,” Eubank said. “Whatever their needs, if we can’t fulfill them, we will find someone who can.”

During a recent Readers Theater, as the story of the Great Pumpkin was finished, the student chose their own pumpkins to decorate for fall. As they shared colors and praise with their peers, Eubanks observed, the seeds of positive influence were taking root.

“We focus on having a strong relationship with the children,” Eubank said. “If the kids ever ask me about my faith, I will tell them. Until then, we’re modeling Christ by loving them and being there when they need us.”

For more information on the HOPE Program, visit www.tbch.org.