San Antonio Youth Literacy is grateful for every Reading Buddy that has made a difference in the lives of the children in our community. Being a Reading Buddy is a commitment - making time each week to read with students in need. Some of our volunteers have been Reading Buddies for years while others have not been able to continue with the commitment. We appreciate anyone who is willing to be a Reading Buddy, whether for one semester or five years. Read more >>>
Upcoming Events:
Sip & Spell
Friday, April 12 - 6:30p
Cherrity Bar
302 Montana St. San Antonio, TX 78203
Come try your luck with San Antonio Youth Literacy's twist on an old school classic! The spelling bee from your youth without the anxiety! Face off against other hives by working with your team (up to 5 players) to compete for the title of Sip & Spell Champion!
Come mix and mingle with fellow Reading Buddy volunteers and SAYL staff. Activity stations will be set up for you to learn more about the different games and activities you can use with your students. Plus, have a chance to learn from fellow Reading Buddies what tools and tips they use.
The first 30 SAYL volunteers to arrive to the event will receive one free drink/food voucher that is good for either one beverage or appetizer.RSVP here >>>
Reading Buddy Tip
Helping Students with Comprehension
One common note in Reading Buddy folders is, "My student read the book well, but had difficulty answering the questions on the back of the book." When students struggle to answer questions about a text it means they likely need more support with reading comprehension. Reading comprehension is a skill that students need to build over time in order to access the meaning in texts they read for school, pleasure, and eventually personal and work tasks. Here are some ideas to help build your students' comprehension.Read the full tip here >>>
Book Buddies News
Book Buddies marked a milestone in March -- our second big shipment of books from Better World Books. This is the first year we have been able to sort and box an entire shipment, then have time to receive another 24 gaylords of books (over ten tons!) to sort and get ready for distribution in the same school year. This means we will easily meet our goal of distributing 60,000 books this May -- and probably exceed it. We will be able to reach more schools and at least 4,000 more at-risk kids than we did last year. Read more >>>
Volunteer Spotlight
Reading Buddy Candice Davis
Congratulations to our Reading Buddy of the Month - Candice Davis! Ms. Davis has been a fantastic Reading Buddy since she started at Martin Luther King Academy in SAISD. She learned about the SAYL Reading Buddy Program through her company, CPS Energy. "CPS Energy believes in volunteering and has always encouraged us to volunteer. I appreciate the fact that my management is flexible and allows me to do this," states Davis.Read more >>>
School Spotlight
Baskin Elementary
Congratulations to our School of the Month - Baskin Elementary in SAISD! The team at Baskin has been amazing since day one when their Site Director, Ms. Molloy, came to our training and picked up the trunk. She has been very responsive and helpful and has gone above and beyond in her role supporting SAYL.
A big THANK YOU to Valero Energy Foundation for their recent donation of $10,000 which allows SAYL the opportunity to continue to deliver its Reading Buddy Program to children in the San Antonio community. Valero Energy Foundation has been a long-standing supporter of SAYL, and we cannot thank them enough.
