Here's what our current members and the community have to say about Minnesota Reading Corps!
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See Issue #1 of the newsletter written and edited by MRC members!
In this issue:
- Finding Book Donors
- The Impact of One: Playing Volunteer
- Teaching Transitions
- Member Profiles
- Interview with a K-3 Literacy Coordinator
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Chuck Slocum's article begins by noting that: "Thanks to an array of supporters, Minnesota is making progress in getting kids off to a good start in grade school." He lists Minnesota Reading Corps as one of these supporters, noting in particular its "cost-effective" structure.
Click here to read Mr. Slocum's article. Minnesota Reading Corps is on the second page.
Quotes taken from Mr. Slocum's article on the Star Tribune website at http://www.startribune.com/535/story/1276957.html on July 2, 2007.
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This article describes the need for MRC and a bit about MRC, all in a very positive response to MRC's announcement of its expansion for the 2007-2008 program year.
Check out the whole article at the Pioneer Press website.
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by Roxie Speth
Reading Corps Member '06-'07
Whittier Elementary and Bethlehem Community Center, Minneapolis
Being a Minnesota ReadingCorps member has proven to be a continual source of discoveries and opportunities. Every day I’m doing something new and learning more about myself and others, which is both challenging and rewarding. When I signed up to be a ReadingCorps member I never imagined I would learn how to double-Dutch, help a student pull a loose tooth, narrate a shadow play in front of an entire school, or lead an after-school art class.
It is refreshing to work with children, who are both open and honest. For the most part my students are eager to learn, but every so often they need some convincing. I have students tell me they do not feel like reading in the same way that they tell me, “You look tired,” or “You have marker on your face.” One day, after getting my hair cut and styled in a trendy, wavy fashion, I had a student squinch up her nose and declare, “Ms. Roxie, your hair is very messy today.” So if they are not in the mood to read, I am glad they are being honest and I ask if it would be okay if I read to them, which usually it is. I have one particular student that was rarely excited about reading until I found out about his love for basketball. Now I bring in stories about Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. He reads their statistics and the number of Championships they have won. I let him tell me who all the best players and teams are, and I believe him.
As a Literacy Coordinator I am continually faced with challenges, varying in degrees of child cooperation to learning capabilities. I had one student that was having some trouble with rhyming words. One day we were reading a story about a fox when she suddenly stopped and mischievously looked up at me. “Ms. Rox was a good fox,” she said. I smiled and congratulated her rhyming success, but shook my head in dismay, knowing what was coming next. “Ms. Roxie is foxy,” she practically shouted. Well, I thought, at least it rhymes. There are worse things then being called “Foxy Roxie” for the rest of the school year.
As a ReadingCorps member I truly believe I am making a difference in the students’ lives. They know that I will be there rooting for them, supporting them one hundred percent, whether it be with their rhyming words or favorite basketball teams. I am truly lucky to have found a program where I love coming in to work every day, am able to build relationships with the students, and help their academic development as well.
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by Annie Swier
Reading Corps Member '06-'07
Lincoln Elementary, St. Cloud
Summer Reading Fun: Tips for Encouraging Reading Through the Summer
Congratulations to all the Minnesota Reading Corps members on successfully completing the school year. While members are finishing up the loose ends at their sites, the students are counting down the days to their precious freedom! It is common knowledge the kiddos will play video games, watch TV, swim, and frolic this summer. Wouldn’t it be great if they made time for some reading as well?
We as Reading Corps members can do our part to encourage vital summer reading. What follows is a list of tips to keep students on the reading path this summer. Be sure to ok any materials you are sending to students’ homes with your site supervisor. Also, make sure that any copies/materials you are making are within your site’s budget. Good luck with the rest of the year and encourage those kiddos to keep reading!
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Create packets containing an intervention and a few passages.
Some members have already done this. Staple together copies of the student’s intervention, chart (or whatever materials needed), and a few passages. Send this packet, along with an explanatory note to parents/guardians, home with students. The interventions that work with oral reading fluency will work best.
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Create a book journal.
A book journal is usually some type of notebook in which the reader records the title, author, and date a book was completed, and what the reader generally thought of the book. While no Reading Corps members can afford to purchase numerous little journals, we can afford to send a book journal sheet home with the kids. This is an example of a book journal page.
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Make a reading list.
Another great way to encourage summer reading is to give the students a recommended reading list. Use the staff at the school sites as resources! Check with the on-site reading specialist/teacher to discover if the district already has recommended reading lists.
After checking with the human experts, you can also check the internet for reading lists. Here are some links to sources:
After deciding upon a list, create one in a Word document using fun clip art and check boxes next to the titles so students can check them off as they finish the books
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Utilize book websites to create take home activity packets.
Some of the students’ favorite stories have activities that go along with the book. Some websites have word finds, worksheets, and projects students can do, such as masks. Since every home does not have internet access and some parents/guardians are unaware of these resources, this would be a great way to keep families involved in reading. Be sure to check with the local library to ensure the books that go along with the activity packets sent home are available.
The following are just a sample of the book activities available online:
The following might be more appropriate for the PreK-K crowd:
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Send home schedules of summer reading activities at the library.
Libraries are a wonderful resource for reading activities. Let the families of the Minnesota Reading Corps know about the great events going on at the community library by sending out library activity schedules. Most schedules are available online. However, since libraries offer activities for all ages, it might take some cutting and pasting to create a list of activities solely for pre K-3 students. Providing the time of the event, a description, along with directions to the library will be helpful.
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by Molly McKasy
Reading Corps Member '06-'07
Midtown YWCA, Minneapolis
Since I began working as a Reading Corps Member last Fall, my preschoolers and I have been working on The Big Five Skills, which include: Conversation Skills, Vocabulary and Background Knowledge, Book and Print Rules, Phonological Awareness and Alphabetic Knowledge on a weekly basis.
At the beginning of our one-to-one sessions, which the preschoolers refer to as special lessons, we work together on the letters and letter sounds in each child's name. The children have made wonderful progress and are no longer shouting out numbers when I ask them the letters in their names.
One morning I walked into the preschool classroom to get a student for special lesson. On our way to my teaching area the child explained to me very enthusiastically that she knew how to write her whole name all by herself. I told her that she was so smart and asked her who taught her how to do that. Her response was, "YOU DID!"
This story, like many others I have, affirms that MN Reading Corps members do make a difference. It was truly a blessing to share in the joy of her proud accomplishment.
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March 22, 2007
DEAR ABBY: "Needs Help in Chicago," who doesn't know what to do with her life, might consider joining the Peace Corps or becoming a VISTA or AmeriCorps volunteer. It's a wonderful way to spend a few years, provides valuable experiences and looks good on a resume. It would give her a chance to see the world in a new way and learn about herself. Anyone, at any time in life, can do this. It's a rewarding experience. -- R.L.H. IN WARNER ROBINS, GA.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips. It is the most popular and widely syndicated column in the world.
(Dear Abby Column 3/22/2007 by Abigail Van Buren; text was copied from http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20070322 on 4/5/2007)
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