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Every Wednesday afternoon during the winter, Annandale High School’s boys and girls basketball teams leave the court behind and walk to Braddock Elementary School. There, the athletes become literacy mentors for third graders who need additional help with reading comprehension.

For 10 weeks, the students meet in Braddock’s cafeteria and work together on stories, passages and other literacy exercises. The program, organized in partnership with the Herndon nonprofit Readers Are Leaders, has connected the two schools since 2018.

Braddock literacy teacher Adriana Vela said the initiative’s impact is significant, with the school aiming to foster a lasting love of reading. She works on the program alongside reading resource teacher Jacquelyne Vereen, after-school program coordinator Joyce Matthews and family engagement support specialist Jakelin Lake.

Vereen said the elementary students eagerly anticipate learning from the teenagers and talk about the visits in the hallways. The athletes, she added, understand the importance of their roles and form meaningful relationships with the children.

During each session, the mentors guide students through exercises that focus on understanding an author’s meaning. They use Benchmark Advance, Fairfax County Public Schools’ literacy curriculum, reinforcing lessons taught in the classroom.

The work goes beyond reading aloud. Before the annual sessions begin, program coordinators train the athletes in effective teaching practices. Mentors receive service hours and a sense of accomplishment, while each basketball team receives $1,000.

The SEVA Truck Foundation also provides dinner for participating students and their families.

Boys varsity basketball coach Jerome McAvoy encourages his players to serve the community where they grew up. Some of the athletes previously attended Braddock themselves.

Senior varsity point guard Tyson Perkins said the children’s excitement is clear whenever the players arrive. He has watched students progress from struggling with vowels to reading books independently.

“It is so nice to see their faces light up when we walk in. It feels super good,” Perkins said. “It’s fun to see them learn and grow.”

Additional literacy support is particularly important at Braddock, where 75% of students are multilingual learners. Many have parents who are not proficient in English, and reading comprehension has been identified as one of the students’ greatest needs.

Teachers report that the children become more confident as the program continues, with improvements in academic performance and classroom participation.

Readers Are Leaders also gives each child 10 books to start a home library, along with a backpack, pencils, bookmarks and a wristband.

At the conclusion of the 10-week program, the third graders visit their mentors at Annandale High School. They cheer for the athletes during a basketball game and take part in a special ceremony on the court. The following day, the children present medals to the players in Braddock’s cafeteria.

Third grader Leonardo Gramajo Mayorga said the sessions are helping him improve because the athletes read with him, listen as he reads and ask questions about the material.

“I am learning to read a lot better,” Leonardo said. “I am getting respected by a basketball player!”

The experience has also sparked a new interest for the 8-year-old. Inspired by his mentors, Leonardo now wants to learn how to play basketball.