Amanda Fristrom - One Page at a Time co-host
This week we are joined by a very impressive teenager! Earlier in 2020, Kai Gomeau was looking for ways to get involved in some community service, but, as it has for so many of us, Covid threw a wrench into his plans. Kai was determined, however, and decided to start his own virtual reading program- Read With a Teen.
1. Kai’s reading habits as a busy teenager, how and when he fits time to read in and what he likes to read.
2. How Kai’s project, Read With a Teen, went from a memory from Kindergarten to a successful online program with connections all over the country and even world!
“I had to go out and find another way…”
3. What Read WIth a Teen is and how it works.
“He started the program not liking reading, but as a couple weeks went by… when I would offer to read a book he’d be like, ‘no no no, let me read, let me read!’”
4. Some of the sessions and experiences that Kai has had that have made an impact on him.
“Part of that might have been reading with someone else that wasn’t his mom and doing it for fun!”
5. What Kai’s vision of the future of Read With a Teen is and the goals he has for himself and his program.
“I’ve heard from a lot of my high school friends that they don’t like reading and that they never liked reading, so I was like, ‘huh…I should fix that.’”
We are so grateful to Kai for taking the time to talk with us! More information about him and Read With a Teen can be found in the following places:
Pete the Cat (series) by James Dean
Fox in Socks by Dr Seuss
Scooby Doo Storybook Collection edited by Beth Dunfey
The Book with No PIctures by BJ Novak
Don’t the Pigeon Drive the Bus (series) by Mo Willems
Elephant and Piggie (series) by Mo Willems
Mercy Watson (series) by Kate DiCamillo
Shel Silverstein (author)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
William Shakespeare (author)
The Odyssey by Homer
Percy Jackson (series) by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King
Catch a Fire by Timothy White
If you liked Read with a Teen with Kai Gomeau, be sure to check out our interview with Sarah Wood about what your child’s teacher wants you to know about reading.