The SPUT Reading Program
Reading needs to be "cool"
Reading is the heart of education. The knowledge of almost every subject in school flows from reading. The basis for the importance of reading is firmly established.
According to Jim Trelease of the RocketReader (a non-profit reading organization), "A child that doesn't read much doesn't know much -- and a child that doesn't know much is more likely to make poor choices in the home, in school and in the community at large."
Our challenge is to convince our children that reading is rewarding and will provide great opportunities for happiness, success and security.
OVERVIEW OF THE SPUT READING PROGRAM
The summer reading program will be led by 5 specially trained "reading" instructors. Each of these instructors will deliver the reading program to three different sites on Monday-Wednesday, Tuesday-Thursday or Friday. Each instructor carries 4-5 copies of the same book and a variety of age-appropriate books for their groups.
The instructors will be on the court helping with the tennis and life skills lessons. At the conclusion of the lesson the instructor will invite the kids off the court. The instructor will then gather the kids and do an introduction and reading activity. Then the older kids are asked to read outloud. The younger kids will be read to. (The books are selected with the help of a local book publisher.)
The reading continues by kids taking turns. If a child just wants to listen - that is ok., At the conclusion of the day's reading the instructor and the kids will talk about what was read -- and will give a preview of the next day's reading.
We believe that most of the kids will choose to attend the reading portion of the program. The initial feedback from parents has been very, very supportive. Between the encouragement of the parents and families and the coaxing from the SPUT tennis staff, we hope that most of the kids choose to participate.
Kids need to see reading as "cool". The core of our program will be delivered by instructors who the kids respect and adore. The main focus for these instructors is to show the kids that reading is fun and cool. This message from the instructors will be very, very powerful.
The 3 main reasons why the Reading Program is successful
1. SPUT was able to take the reading program to the kids -- right to their neighborhoods
It is obvious, but if the kids cannot get to their reading program, then they cannot participate. This is one of the biggest challenges that these children face each summer. Most of these families do not have a stay-at-home-mom to shuttle the kids from one activity to the next. If there is not a library or community center in these neighborhoods, these kids have no access to things like reading and mentoring.
2. One of the Tennis Instructors was the Reading Instructor
This is a key component because the kids respect and adore the instructors. Since the reading instructors were on the court with the kids, they were able to lead the kids over to the reading area after the classes finished -- the "Pied Piper effect".
3. The books were integrated into the Life-Skills training.
Life Skills training happens during each and every class throughout the summer program. By tying the messages from the books into the life-skill lessons the life-skills messages were reinforced each day. The kids and instructors experience the "joy" of reading together.
