Senator Martins & John Starks Read to Children in Elmont

     Senator Jack M. Martins (R-7th Senate District) recently joined Optimum Community, Madison Square Garden, and Knicks alumnus John Starks for a Read to Achieve event at Covert Avenue Elementary School in Elmont. Senator Martins helped bring the program, which encourages children to continue reading during the summer months to enhance their literacy skills, to the school. 

     Nearly 40 students from the Elmont School District and Gateway Youth Outreach programs attended the event. Mr. Starks and Senator Martins, with the help of some of the kids, read the book “Salt in His Shoes,” a story about Michael Jordan.

     “The research is clear that children who don’t read during the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress and that loss has a cumulative, long-term effect,” said Senator Martins. “For this reason, it’s important to find novel ways to get books into the hands of children during the summer break. The innovative program today from Optimum Community, the Knicks and Madison Square Garden does just that."

     Senator Martins (center) and John Starks (left) are pictured listening as Covert Avenue student Steven Lambert reads part of “Salt in His Shoes” during the Read to Achieve program.