On Saturday, October 25, 2025, members of Newtown AYLUS dedicated their time to
hosting a community reading session for local elementary school students. For this event,
the volunteers selected Wonder by R. J. Palacio, a well known 2012 novel that was later
adapted into a popular film. By choosing a meaningful chapter book rather than a short,
simple story, the Newtown AYLUS team aimed to challenge young readers, strengthen their
literacy skills, and encourage them to think more deeply about the themes presented in the
text.
Three volunteers worked closely with a small group of eight children, creating a warm,
patient, and supportive atmosphere in which everyone was encouraged to participate. Each
child took turns reading aloud, allowing them to practice their fluency while also staying
engaged with the storyline. During this session, the group covered pages 60 through 80,
which describe the protagonist’s experiences at school as September fades into October
and the excitement of Halloween begins. In this section, the main character August attends
Halloween at school with costumes but then becomes devastated when he overhears
someone he believed was a close friend speaking unkindly about him behind his back. With
encouragement and guidance from the AYLUS volunteers, the children were able not only
to understand the plot, but also to discuss the emotions and challenges the character faced.
The event proved to be very successful. The students showed visible improvement in their
confidence and reading ability compared to the previous session, and many of them
expressed enthusiasm about continuing the story in future sessions. Their enjoyment of the
novel, combined with noticeable academic growth, made the day especially rewarding for
everyone involved.
Participating members included Rumi Tian (event leader) and Justin Peng, each
contributing one volunteer hour.