ROBESON COUNTY — Emma Andrade wanted her son Aaron to enjoy reading. But he would often get distracted or even slap the book out of her hands when she sat down to read with him.

When Aaron was 3, Andrade said, he was placed on an individualized education plan because he had a speech impediment and a limited vocabulary. Later, he repeated kindergarten.

Now 8, Aaron works with speech therapists. But Andrade says he continues to struggle with reading comprehension and needs more personalized attention than what he receives at Pembroke Elementary School in Robeson County.

That’s why Andrade jumped at the chance to sign him up this summer for a five-week Summer Literacy Initiative at First United Methodist Church in Pembroke. Funded by The Duke Endowment, the program partners with rural chur

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