Aside from, cutting hair, this barbershop in Ypsilanti, Michigan also cuts prices for their young customers. The catch, of course, is if the kid is willing to read a book out loud while getting a hair cut.
Ryan Griffin, a barber, got the idea from Harlem and it has so far been a success among kids and parents.
“The response from parents and teachers has been great, they love it!” Ryan Griffin and Alex Fuller, the barbershop owner, told BoredPanda. “For some kids, reading comes easy. For others, they may be afraid to read out loud, or they may struggle with reading in general,” Alex added. “We encourage all of them to try regardless”
Photo credit: Fuller Cut
On top of promoting literacy, the barbershop hopes to inspire the children with positive African-American role models to look up to. The Fuller Cut library features such heroes to look up to.
Alex emphasized:
“Every time there is a book in a child’s hand empowerment for a community happens…
“There have been moments where we can see on a child’s face that they feel accomplished when they’re done reading. Nothing beats that.”
“If they like sports, they may pick up the sports books. They may choose a book about counting or music or even a book about Obama.”
Kudos to Fuller Cut for this awesome program!
Why Parents Should Read To Their Kids?
According to ChildMags.com.au:
“Evidence shows that kids between the ages 3 and 5 who are read to by their parents have greater neuron activity on the left side of the brain, which helps develop literacy by controlling comprehension of words, language processing, and visual imagery. Listening to stories read by mum or dad actually changes a child’s brain biologically.”
The site also adds that reading can do wonders for a kid’s confidence:
“We all want to help boost our child’s confidence. Reading together opens children up to new experiences, helps them to develop imagination and to put themselves in other people’s shoes. Sharing stories reinforces familiar events and teaches children about new experiences. This can help to lessen a child’s anxiety, allow them to discuss their worries and deal with transition.”