Read to Children

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Do you enjoy reading aloud to young kids? Share your love of reading with young children! The Words Alive Read-Aloud Program (RAP) operates on the knowledge that reading aloud to young children is the most important thing we can do to help them become motivated, strong readers. Every month the RAP serves approximately 2,000 preschool and elementary school students attending Title 1 elementary schools. Many students we serve live in communities with limited literary resources.

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to provide stimulating, shared-reading experiences in our preschool and elementary classrooms VIRTUALLY and IN-PERSON.

RAP volunteers provide weekly shared-reading experiences to help these young students develop the cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills necessary to be successful adults. No prior teaching experience is necessary; curriculum guides offering themed example questions, group activities, and useful tips and tricks for an engaging reading session will be provided to support volunteers in preparing for their sessions.

Goals and outcomes:

Read Aloud volunteers work to build healthy reading habits, encourage reading comprehension, boost phonological awareness, and provide opportunities for self-expression and world exploration. We explore new and diverse texts using five anchors, read, talk, sing, play, and connect to help foster the love of reading.

Ideal volunteers Should:

• Enjoy reading
• Be comfortable working with young children
• Be culturally sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of our students
• Have reliable transportation (in commitment is in-person)
• Have a positive attitude

Hours and location:

Volunteers work remotely at an assigned school site or virtually via ZOOM. Volunteers typically spend 30 minutes per classroom reading and providing fun, educational activities. Commitment varies by site; most volunteers commit to 2 or more classes weekly. Preparation for reading sessions can be done in as little as 15 minutes.