On Saturday, March 21st, 2026, the Newtown AYLUS members organized and led a reading session for elementary school students. During this meeting, the volunteers and children read Wonder by R. J. Palacio, a widely loved 2012 novel that was later adapted into a film.
Rather than choosing a short picture book, the group intentionally selected a longer chapter book to challenge the students, strengthen their literacy skills, and encourage deeper thinking about the overall story’s theme.
Three volunteers worked closely with a small group of five children, creating a supportive and welcoming environment where everyone felt comfortable participating. The students took turns reading aloud, which allowed them to practice fluency while staying engaged with the story plot.
During this session, the group read pages 261–281, where August and his school had arrived at the camping place for a school trip. They were starting a movie, one that August had seen many times. During the movie, Jack needed to go to the bathroom and to skip the long line he went in the woods. On their way back from the woods they were stopped by a group of seventh graders who were shocked at August’s face. One boy named Eddie made fun of August but then they were saved by Amos, Miles, and Henry. After they got back news spread quickly. Everyone was worried about August and some wanted to find a way to get revenge on the bullies. The school trip was soon over and August had safely returned home. August’s dad and Via returned soon after and came bearing a gift. It was a small puppy, which they named Bear.
With the volunteers’ support, the students were able to follow the storyline clearly and thoughtfully discuss the characters’ emotions and challenges.
Overall, the session was highly successful. Compared to previous sessions, the children demonstrated noticeable growth in both confidence and reading ability. Their enthusiasm for the story, combined with the academic progress they showed, made the experience especially meaningful for both the students and the volunteers.
Participating members included Kylee Guo (event leader),Edward Soong, Rumi Tian, each contributing one volunteer hour.