Project READ October 2014 Accomplishments

Project READ - The Original Trivia BEE Celebrates 25 years of trivial facts and fun! October 17^th marked the 25^th Anniversary of Project READ’s annual fundraiser The Trivia BEE, presented by Redwood City Friends Of Literacy (RCFOL), which promotes awareness and raises funds to support Project READ’s programs. The event was held on the beautiful Cañada College campus, where teams competed in a night filled with trivia, Hors d'oeuvres and FUN.   Visit our Trivia BEE webpage for more fun details about the 25^th BEE and find out how you can join in the fun!  Visit us at http://www.projectreadredwoodcity.org/trivia-bee.html

Family Literacy Instructional Center Tutoring:

This month over 80 students took part in our drop–in tutoring program to work on their literacy and homework skills. Students were matched one-on-one and worked in small groups with one of our 40 active teen tutors and/or 20 adult community tutors.  In addition to reading and homework, students worked with peers and tutors on craft projects, educational games, computer-aided learning and our new listening station.

Project READ Game Night! Pilot Program

This month, we piloted a new program with the help of our Junior League partners. We’ve noticed that incoming students, as well as current students, are struggling with expressive language. In order to address this need we created a new program focusing on expressive language—Game Night! This program uses specific games to hone students’ expressive language skills. Additionally, the games focus on community building, vocabulary and strategy. Students work in teams with an adult tutor as the group facilitator. Students work in groups of 4-5 on an individual game based on age and ability, then switch half way through. Sixteen students and 5 Junior League tutors took part in our first Game Night. Participant’s feedback was so positive that the Game night program will be offered monthly.  Our next pilot will be to include parents too!

"Let's Talk"

"Word On the Street"

Project READ Book Club:

Over 20 students Pre k–4^th grade attended the two Book Clubs this month. Students worked with Junior League of Mid Peninsula and community tutors reading in a round table format. Afterwards, the students made crafts related to the theme of the book. All students were given the brand new book to take home and build their home libraries.

Project READ - Adult Inmate Program

Our Adult Inmate Program started a new book club at Maguire Correctional Facility.  Project READ Inmate students are reading short stories, poems, and journal articles. Hope is the current theme.  Students are discussing the value of hope, how people give hope to others, and the relationship between hope and education.  The small group is only open to trained Project READ inmate peer tutors in an effort to offer enrichment programming and build community among the men who are volunteering their time to help their peers.  Poetry small groups, Mothers and Families small group sessions and small group instruction were also offered at the Women’s Correctional Facility.

Project READ’s Youth Literacy program, Kids In Partnership’s Tutor Recruitment for our afterschool Fair Oaks School site programs, Training & Matches:

Project READ staff visited local high schools to recruit new teen tutors for the 2015 Kids In Partnership program year. We were thrilled to see so many teens are interested in helping an elementary student succeed in school.  So far, we have trained and matched over 40 teen tutors in the Kids In Partnership program. As a result, 50 elementary-aged students are receiving individualized academic support in one-on-one matches or small group tutoring sessions.

Pumpkin Festivals at Project READ Kids in Partnership program:

Project READ staff and teen tutors conducted two pumpkin festivals for the younger learners, including relays and a homemade pumpkin patch!

Family Outreach & Events

At the beginning of September we held a Back to Kids In Partnership program Night at Fair Oaks Elementary where Project READ staff assisted Kids In Partnership families with program paperwork and oriented them to the program calendar. Meanwhile, our little learners were eager to get the year started with three different Student Orientations that allowed over 50 children to get to know one another and learn the new set up and schedule.

Project READ Kids In Partnership Story Hour:

Over 55 KIDS IN PARTNERSHIP students and families came to the Fair Oaks Library for the Project READ Story Hour featuring a wonderful performance by the Puppet Company. Puppeteer, Randall Metz, had the crowd engaged throughout the story and then also gave everyone a behind-the-scenes look at puppetry, including movement and construction techniques. Likewise, At the October Project READ story hour, over 75 KIDS IN PARTNERSHIP learners, tutors and family members came together to enjoy a musical story hour by one of our favorite duos, Mike and Anjaline Eppley!  They had the whole crowd singing and reading along with their original music for our featured stories and themes.  At both events, families enjoyed receiving each month's family book, and participating in several hands-on craft activities, including edible crafts.

Project READ Book Clubs and Hands-on, Multi-sensory Learning at KIDS IN PARTNERSHIP

In addition to one-on-one and small group tutoring, KIDS IN PARTNERSHIP learners and tutors enjoy a variety of enrichment activities that allow literacy to be woven into a variety of content areas. In October, we held 28 small group book clubs during which students not only engaged in reading quality children’s literature, but also used that literature as a launching point for further learning and review. For example, students have reviewed comparing and contrasting, sequencing, using Venn diagrams, and recognizing rhyme. Students also practice social skills of taking turns, active listening, introducing themselves and sharing thoughts and opinions with a group.

Students have also put their literacy skills to use reading and following recipes and instructions in KIDS IN PARTNERSHIP cooking and science classes. Activities so far have included banana Nutella s’mores, pumpkin spice play dough, pumpkin measurement and exploration, toasted pumpkin seeds, and candy corn Rice Krispy treats.

A busy an successful month for all of us!