The Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon-cutting to celebrate Joe’s Kids Reading Connections program on Friday, May 12, at Joe’s Kids’ building at 902 Provident Drive, Suite C, Warsaw. From left: Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rob Parker, Chamber Ambassadors Heather Lardino and Brittany Lyon, Joe’s Kids’ Reading Connections Program Director Tara Carlile, Tara’s husband Hunter Carlile, Joe’s Kids Executive Director Rebecca Bazzoni, Joe’s Kids Board Members Fred and Karen Rowland, Joe’s Kids Board President Laurel Davis, Chamber Ambassadors Shawn Brown and Stacey Leek, Tara’s son Tucker Carlile and Chamber Member Relations Manager Scott Wiley. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — About 20% of people are dyslexic.

That’s according to Joe’s Kids’ Reading Connections Program Director Tara Carlile. Addressing the figure is part of the purpose of Reading Connections, she said.

The Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon-cutting for the program outside Joe’s Kids’ building at 902 Provident Drive, Suite C, Warsaw, on Friday, May 12.

Joe’s Kids started the program in September 2022. Through it, tutors meet two times a week with kids for about an hour at the current location of Warsaw Community Church.

“We service anybody in the community that struggles in reading, mostly (those with) dyslexia,” said Carlile. “The system that we use is based on the science of reading … and it’s just very structured, multisensory (and is) one-on-one with the student.”

Tutors are: Amy Arscott, Shari Lewis, Angie McCleary, Nanette Pierce, Renee Parker, Pam Albritten, Lisa Harstine, Kate Jackson and Kim Kelly.

Sessions are meant for those in preschool through eighth grade. The cost is generally $55 per session apart from financial help available.

The program is connected with Indiana Learns.

“So we will be able to service kids who are at-risk being on free and reduced lunch or where they also score low on their standardized tests, and they will get a $500 credit to be used with our center that we’re going to set up this summer,” said Carlile.

Kids don’t have to live in Kosciusko County to use the program. To learn more or sign their kids up, people should call Carlile at (574) 378-7078 or email [email protected].