PENCIL Reading Partners - One-to-One Reading Assistance

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Sixty-four percent of Metro Nashville Public School students are entering middle school able to read at only basic or below basic levels.

We need your help!

PENCIL is seeking volunteers to work individually with students to help increase overall proficiency in Reading. Volunteers will be trained in the Reading Partners model, a process repeated weekly during 30-minute sessions, that has proven results. These sessions help students build vocabulary, increase reading fluency and build comprehension.

Because of COVID-19: Reading Partners sessions will be done virtually at the beginning of the school year. We anticipate that the program will be delivered face-to-face at some point, once the District determines that it's safe to do so. We also anticipate that there will be a combination of virtual and face-to-face implementation of our program, based on volunteers' comfort level. PENCIL will provide training so that volunteers are prepared for both options. Volunteers should have familiarity with virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Six-eight schools in Davidson County will participate in the Reading Partners program during the 2020-2021 school year. PENCIL will help identify the school most convenient to your home or work. We ask that reading partners ("buddies") commit to at least 8 reading sessions, as this is the benchmark for seeing results.