Reading Power Fosters Literacy in Beaufort, S.C.
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Nestled among the pines, palms, sand, and water that make up the Lowcountry of South Carolina sits Joseph S. Franklin Elementary School located in the countryside outside of historic downtown Beaufort.
Shanklin’s prekindergarten program now includes caring Reading Power volunteers, who are igniting the children’s love of reading and writing through rich conversations about their lives and about books.
The Reading Power prekindergarten program was brought to this Beaufort school four years ago by Reading Power co-founder Mary Jane Hender, and has blossomed to include 60 students annually and 30 volunteer tutors from nearby communities, including Spring Island, Callawassee Island, and Distant Island. “Administrators and teachers are very welcoming, and the children frequently cheer when we arrive at their classrooms,” Mary Jane explains.
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The prekindergarten program in Beaufort operates a bit differently than our program in North Chicago. Children are tutored twice per week for 20 minutes per session. After reading a book to a student, each tutor “grabs” one of the children’s spoken ideas and writes it in the student’s journal while thinking out loud about the process. The child provides finger spaces between words with eyes glued to the page, illustrating their stories briefly, and then “reading” them back to the tutors. For many, their journal is among their favorite books.
“We love our Reading Power friends!” exclaims prekindergarten teacher Barbie Newsome. “My students this year have shown amazing improvement, thanks to their help. The children’s understanding of what they are reading and their text predictions blow me away! The tutors are so patient with the students. When Reading Power tutors come to get students, the children bound out the door very excited.The excitement they bring to my class is contagious.”
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Although volunteers at Shanklin focus on tutoring four- and five-year-old children, Reading Power is fostering literacy in other ways, including buying popular children’s books for independent reading in classrooms and letting children choose books to own. As the Scholastic Book Fair approached, Reading Power bought a book for each child in the school, prekindergarten through grade five, understanding that purchasing books was beyond the budget for many children.
Reading Power in Beaufort plans to expand to Broad River Elementary School next year. If you are interested in facilitating language growth among young children in rural S.C., become a volunteer tutor by contacting Mary Jane Hender at 847-347-4513.
Photos: Top left, Margaret Mary Gestaut. At right, Jim Chaffin and Brooke Cragan. Bottom photo, happy owners of new books!
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Author's Day Celebrations Delight All!
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Each spring, our first and second grade students participate in Writer’s Workshop. Under the guidance of their tutors, the students brainstorm topics, develop an outline, write a rough draft, edit, and produce letters and books, including illustrations. Reading Power students wrote more than 100 books and letters this year!
Author’s Day Celebrations were held in every Reading Power classroom in May, and each student read their work to peers, parents, and Reading Power tutors. Many of the students dedicated their books to their parents, and we did note a few teary eyes in the room! Pride of authorship abounded throughout the day.
Congratulations to all aspiring Reading Power authors!
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Thank you,
Reading Power Tutors,
for another TERRIFIC year!
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Parade Marchers Needed This Summer!
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Reading Power will once again participate in the Lake Bluff 4
th
of July Parade, as well as the Lake Forest Day parade on August 7! We need YOU to march with us and help us spread the word about Reading Power.
This year, the theme for the Lake Bluff 4
th
of July Parade is
F
READ
OM,
celebrating the love of reading, and honoring all those who work toward literacy! We are thrilled to announce that Reading Power will be featured in the 4
th
of July Parade Book.
We are seeking several convertibles and marchers for each of the parades. T-shirts and handouts will be provided to all. Can you join us? All are welcome, including children, grandchildren, friends, and fans of Reading Power.
Click here to reply.
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Foster the Promise of Literacy!
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Want to Help Reading Power Grow? It's easy!
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The greatest ambassadors for Reading Power are YOU – our friends, tutors, strategic partners, and donors. One of the ways you can help us grow is to connect us with others who share our concern and passion for early childhood literacy.
Here are some ideas to consider over the summer that are free and easy, and will help us attract new tutors and donors.
- Are you a member of a civic organization, group or social club? Invite Reading Power to an upcoming meeting to speak for five minutes about the work we’re doing.
- Hold a Book Club meeting at an independent bookstore (like Lake Forest Bookstore) and invite Reading Power to attend. We’ll give a quick pitch, and your friends can purchase books for Reading Power classrooms.
- Do you or a family member work at a corporation or business that has matching grants? Connect us and let’s make sure that Reading Power is an option for Employee Giving Campaigns.
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Our Mission
Working in partnership with underserved schools,
Reading Power provides one-to-one tutoring during the school day
for children in prekindergarten through second grade.
Our mission is to accelerate children's literacy learning,
and to develop in them a love of reading and writing.
All children deserve to reach their intellectual potential.
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Reading Power Board of Directors
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Kathy McFarland, PhD, Chairman, CEO
Germaine Arnson
Ann Bates, EdD
Kathleen Cowie
John Davidson
Mark Goodman, JD
Mary Jane Hender, EdD
Todd Litzsinger
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Marra Lochiatto, MBA
Melinda Mooney
Beverly Raudabaugh, MBA
Frank Sibley
Nancy Smith, CPA, CMA
Mary Weber
Tom Wood
George Zorich
Rev. Dr. Gordon Butcher, DMin, Emeritus
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Reading Power Program Staff
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Lisa Bulzoni, MEd, Director of Programs
Daniela Cruz, Administrative Assistant
North Chicago Schools
Evelyn Alexander Elementary School
Marion Schmidt, BS, Site Coordinator
Joanie Alley, MSEd, Assistant Site Coordinator
Kristin Fine, MEd, Assistant Site Coordinator
Forrestal Elementary School
Marla Guziec, BS, Site Coordinator
Andrea Glickman, MAEd, Site Coordinator
Sue Butman, MSEd, Assistant Site Coordinator
Green Bay Early Childhood Center
Joy McGreevy, BA, Site Coordinator
LEARN 10 Charter School
Cheryl DePaul, MAT, Site Coordinator
Jenny Kronauer, BS, Assistant Site Coordinator
Zion Schools
Beulah Park Elementary School
Julie Collishaw, MA, Site Coordinator
Shiloh Park Elementary School
Cathy Keller, BS, Site Coordinator
Cathy Plate, MSEd, Assistant Site Coordinator
Beaufort, South Carolina Schools
Joseph Shanklin Elementary School
Mary Jane Hender, EdD, Site Coordinator
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