The Reading Connection opens 14th Read-Aloud program site in Silver Spring

Our newest Read-Aloud site opened on Thursday, March 10, 2016. Our program partner is the YMCA's Youth & Family Services, located at the community center at the Northwest Park Apartments in Silver Spring. The children who attend the Read-Aloud attend the JoAnn Leleck Elementary School at Broad Acres, where 95 percent of the children are eligible for free and reduced price meals.  

Eleven enthusiastic kids, ranging in age from 4 to 11, came to the first Read-Aloud. They had a great time listening to books about bears (the theme), which volunteers read to groups of kids.   

Next came a theme-related activity, which was making a small bear out of a toilet-paper tube, with the addition of construction paper eyes, ears and paws. 

Finally, volunteers helped each child choose a new book, provided by TRC, to take home.  

The Read-Aloud program is designed to bring together volunteer readers and at-risk children, with the aim of providing the children positive experiences with reading and free, new books to keep. Thank you to our great new volunteers, the staff at the Y and kudos to Stephanie Berman, TRC director of program operations, for handling all the details of the new site opening!  Happy reading! 

Guess who's coming to our Read-Aloud: Finding special guests

Considering inviting a special guest to your Read-Aloud? While there are many factors to consider and you'll need to consider more scheduling details than usual, special guests are a real plus for Read-Alouds. When planned well, a special guest at your Read-Aloud can elevate the level of child engagement and spur the kids' interest in a particular topic area. It is a great opportunity to provide lots of background knowledge and expand the real-life experiences available to the kids at your site.  

What type of special guest would be able to capture and maintain the kids’ attention throughout a Read-Aloud? Who would give the kids insight into an area to which they otherwise might not have access? What type of person might be off-limits? 

Thinking through all these issues (as well as making sure there are children's books available on the topic), is key to a successful special guest visit.

Brainstorming about special guests

When you are brainstorming about prospective guests, stay open to all types of professions or expertise. Anyone who is good with kids and has a job or skill set that lends itself to a kid-appropriate, interactive activity during the Read-Aloud can be considered. We've had reporters, chefs, athletes, artists, a bus driver and a nurse visit Read-Alouds. Maybe you have a great dentist, hair dresser or well-traveled friend who would make a great guest! Here are some examples of special guests who have previously visited Read-Alouds.

Firefighters visited ALIVE! House and taught the kids about their daily work. The kids got to tour the fire truck, try on turnout gear and learn about fire safety.




Paws To Read, a literacy program featuring dogs as reading partners, came to Columbia Grove last summer. During the visit, kids read aloud to the appreciative audience of dogs! All the local library systems have a version of this program, whose goal is to let the kids enjoy quality time with dogs while strengthening their reading confidence. Contact your library for details.  

Blues musician Chet Chandler sang with the ARHA Ruby Tucker Center kids. He provided a glimpse into his background, as well as into the history of the blues genre. The kids got a better understanding of music and had fun clapping and singing along.



A zookeeper at the National Zoo, Becky Malinsky, visited Greentree Shelter to talk to the kids about the animals at the zoo and the day-to-day work of a zookeeper. The kids made (and ate!) food for the pandas and asked questions about their favorite zoo animals.


 



These guests worked well for the following reasons: 

• they had knowledge about a topic that interests kids, 
• they could relate to the kids and
• their visit provided an opportunity for the kids to experience something new.

When brainstorming about potential guests, it's important to remember that not everyone is a good prospect. Based on previous experience, police should not be special guests at domestic violence shelters because some of the residents might be uncomfortable with their presence. 


Once you brainstorm some potential guests, search to find appropriate children's books related to the specialty. Even though having a guest at your Read-Aloud may change how much reading happens that night, you will still need a couple of related books. 

Finally, run your ideas by Stephanie. You'll need her permission to invite a guest to the Read-Aloud. She knows what specific sites allow, and she can tell you whether or not you need to get on OK from site staff. You might have a great idea, such as a naturalist who will bring snakes, but a site rule (no animals) or previous situation might mean that you won't be granted permission.   

Including your team members

Make sure to keep your fellow volunteers and site coordinator in the loop. Contact them after you’ve gotten permission from Stephanie and the site staff. It is best for you to remain the main contact and organizer so the guest isn’t overwhelmed by multiple volunteers planning with him or her. 

Contacting a special guest

Planning ahead as much as possible is key. Try to start this process at least two months early. 

When reaching out to the potential special guest, share the following information:

• The Reading Connection's mission.

• The typical Read-Aloud structure.

• Your expectations. Make the guest aware that he should be prepared to explain what he does, what makes him unique and what his field means to the kids. He should also be prepared to read a book that you'll provide.

• Facts about the site. Describe the site, its location, whether its location is confidential, logistics about arriving at the site, the number of children who usually attend and any other key information.   

• Dates. Give your prospective guest a couple of dates so that she has options. Ask her to arrive 15 minutes before the start of the Read-Aloud and to stay until the end.

Save the date

Once your guest agrees to a date, let Stephanie and your fellow teammates know the details. Also, make sure to pass along this information to the site staff (which you can do via Stephanie or your site coordinator) so that they can prepare for the guest and encourage kids (and maybe parents) to participate.

You'll want to confirm with your guest a few days before his visit to make sure he can still participate, and then reconfirm with the site staff as well.

Now that the date has been set, you can start planning the actual Read-Aloud. We'll explore that process in a future blog post.


This post was written by Rachel Fishman, TRC's AmeriCorps VISTA. 

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