An Iowa barber has developed a creative way to get kids reading.

Courtney Holmes, a barber in Dubuque, offered free haircuts to kids who read out loud to him during an appointment on Saturday, USA Today reported. The initiative was part of a back to school event, and Holmes hopes the storytelling will help young students strengthen their reading skills.

"The kids would come in, and I would say, 'Go to the table and get a book you might like, and if you can't read it, I'll help you understand and we can read it together,'" Holmes told the news outlet.