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Gwynn Sullivan, Jackson County

I have been a SMART reader for 15 years and trying to choose a favorite story is difficult. Each child has brought joy into my life and many memorable moments. I’m so fortunate to have been able to share a love of books and reading with children. It’s so exciting to share a book and to watch the progress of a child in his or her reading ability. I’m so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to enrich a child’s life as well as my own.

One of my most memorable SMART experiences came a few years ago when I read to a little boy with an enormous imagination. When I first met him his teacher said “good luck.” My unspoken response was “Good luck…? Okay, what do we have here?”

This little boy loved books and being read to. When reading a book about firemen, he had been a fireman. The same with a policeman, farmer and a zoo- keeper. He would explain in detail what his duties were and how he performed them.

One very creative day we read a book about dinosaurs. He told me that he had seen dinosaurs. When I asked him when he had seen them he told me that he had seen them when he went to the jungle in the summer. He said that he’d even had a ride on one. I was suitably impressed and told him that he must be very brave and strong to have done this. He told me that I mustn’t worry because dinosaurs don’t bite and they are potty trained.

One of my most delightful SMART experiences came while reading to a little boy who was in kindergarten and was an identical twin. He was very bright and loved books, being read to and watching educational television. His favorite books were about nature and especially dinosaurs. As any SMART reader knows, dinosaur names can be a challenge.

This particular day we had a book with many dinosaur names and I was struggling. He was patient for a while but stopped my efforts and said “Look, this is what we’re going to do. I’ll tell you the names and you just read me the story.”

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SMART Stories

Story from:

Joe Galati, Principal at Chief Joseph Elementary, Multnomah County

SMART has been invaluable at Chief Joseph Elementary in North Portland for the past 15 years. In that time, the SMART Volunteers have provided a service that has… Read More ›

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