United Way ReadingPals Program
Volunteer Handbook
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Table of Contents
Section 1: ReadingPals Overview
What is ReadingPals? 3
Volunteer position description & expectations 4
Volunteer overview 5
Frequently asked questions 6
Sign Up for Remind (text-message reminders) 7
Sample sign-in sheet 8-9
Reading Calendar 10-11
Miami-Dade County Calendar 12
Share your pictures with us 13
Thank you and contact information 14
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ReadingPals is an early childhood literacy initiative that brings 200 plus volunteers into 50 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) classrooms in our community to read to a small group of children for 30 minutes per week. The program is funded by Carol and Barney Barnett, chair and co-chair of Publix Supermarket Charities, who generously contributed private funding to address kindergarten readiness in the state of Florida between 10 United Ways.
The goal of ReadingPals is to instill a love for reading at a young age by providing students with an opportunity to engage, discuss, explore and read with volunteers for one hour a week.
The ReadingPals program understands that in order to make a greater impact with our children, teachers and families need to be an integral part of the program. This is why ReadingPals provides teachers, volunteers and families with tools that will enable them to be advocates for early childhood education and learn how to support children’s emergent literacy skills. Each of the 200 children in our program receive a minimum of four take-home books throughout the year and a transition to kindergarten packet that includes books, activities and community resources that we hope will prevent summer loss.
What is ReadingPals?
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ReadingPals position description &
expectations
Job Title
ReadingPals volunteer
Summary of the position:
Serves as a reader to a small group of children that have been pre-selected by the
teacher to participate in 30 minutes of reading intervention per-week. Students’ are
selected and recommended to the program after reviewing VPK scores. Volunteers will
read for at least half an hour, at the same time each week; at one of the 20 plus
centers/schools participating in the ReadingPals Program.
Works With:
ReadingPals Coordinator, participating teachers and site leadership staff
Skills and Qualifications:
Complete training
Complete and pass Level 1 background check
Excitement, eagerness and desire to work with our wonderful students
Time commitment:
30 minutes of reading once a week
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Overview for ReadingPals volunteers
•The program will begin the week of September 15th and end the week of May 6th
•200 volunteers across the County are matched with small groups (2:1 ratio) of children to help build vocabulary and other literacy skills by reading high quality books and engaging them in interactive learning
Classroom Experience
Day 1 (i.e. Tuesday) Day 2 (i.e. Thursday)
Two volunteers will come on each reading day to read to two different students (represented in red and blue). Volunteers should read to the SAME two students each week for 30 minutes. Another volunteer willl read to your students on a different day of the week – giving each student 1 hour of intervention each week.
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Frequently asked questions
How were our reading days/times selected?
What happens if a student is absent?
Will the students receive books to take home?
Who should I contact if I have a question or concern?
The principal, assistant principal, curriculum specialist, and/or reading coach at your
school selected the reading days/times earlier this summer.
If one student is absent, the volunteer should work with the other assigned student.
If both students are absent, please coordinate with the teacher to conduct a whole-class
reading.
Each participating student will receive a minimum of 4 take-home books over the course of
the year.
Students will also receive materials and resources to support the transition to kindergarten
and encourage family literacy.
•For matters concerning the volunteer program or logistics, contact Luisa Cotto at
(305) 646-7118 or [email protected]
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(347) 514-6626
@readingmia
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To:
Message:
Recipients: [email protected]
Subject: (You can leave the subject blank)
Sign up for ReadingPals
text messages alerts
To receive messages via text, text
@readingmia to (347) 514-6626
You can opt-out of messages at
anytime by replying ‘unsubscribe
@readingmia’.
Or to receive messages via email,
send an email to
unsubscribe, reply with ‘unsubscribe’
in the subject line
What is “remind” and why is it safe ?
Remind is a one-way text messaging system. With Remind, all personal information
remains completely confidential. Teachers will never see your phone number, nor will you
ever see theirs.
Visit: www.remind.com to learn more.
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Sample sign-in sheet Every Friday you will receive an email with details about the next week of reading! In that
email you will also see a personalized link that will take you to our online sign in sheet. This
form is a way for us to track how many hours you have read to your students. All you have to
do is answer “Yes” or “No” and hit submit.
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If for any reason you did NOT read to your assigned students and you select “no” more options
will appear. If you read to another student not assigned to you, please provide us with their
name or select from the best option.
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Reading Schedule 2017-2018
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Reading Schedule 2017-2018
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Week Volunteer A Volunteer B
Week 1 October 9 – 13, 2017
ReadingPals scavenger hunt!
ReadingPals scavenger hunt!
Week 2 October 16 – 20, 2017
Quackers by Liz Wong Read for the Record
Quackers by Liz Wong Read for the Record
Week 3 October 23 – 27, 2017
Mrs. Wishy Washy’s Farm by Joy Cowley
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
Week 4 October 30 – November 3, 2017
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Ar-cambault
Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae
Week 5 November 6 – 10, 2017
Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete By James Dean
Pete the Cat: A Pet for Pete By James Dean
Week 6 November 13 – 17, 2017
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
Mrs. Wishy Washy’s Farm by Joy Cowley
Week 7 November 27 – Decem-ber 21, 2017
Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Ar-cambault
Week 8 December 4 – 8, 2017
It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin
Week 9 December 11 – 15, 2017
Choose your favorite book! Early Literacy Activity or ABC Bingo
Choose your favorite book! Early Literacy Activity or ABC Bingo
Week 10 December 18 – 22, 2017
The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach (Jumpstart Read for the Record Book)
The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach (Jumpstart Read for the Record Book)
Week 11 January 8 – 12 , 2018
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
Week 12 January 15 – 19 , 2018
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
Whoever You Are By Mem Fox
Week 13 January 22 – 26, 2018
Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming
Book! Book! Book! By Deborah Bruss
Week 14 January 29 – February 2, 2018
A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming
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Week Volunteer A Volunteer B
Week 15 February 5 - 9, 2018
We Are In A Book by Mo Wil-lems
A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
Week 16 February 12 – 16, 2018
Not Norman by Kelly Bennett We Are In A Book by Mo Willems
Week 17 February 19 – 23, 2018
Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert
Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert
Week 18 February 26 – March 2, 2018
Dog Breath: The Horrible Trou-ble with Hally Tosis by Dav Pilkey
Not Norman by Kelly Bennett
Week 19 March 5 – 9, 2018
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle Dog Breath: The Horrible Trou-ble with Hally Tosis by Dav Pilkey
Week 20 March 12 – 16, 2018
Choose your favorite book! Early Literacy Activity or ABC Bingo
Choose your favorite book! Early Literacy Activity or ABC Bingo
Week 21 March 19 – 23, 2018
Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Week 22 April 2 – 6, 2018
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni Clifford Goes to Kindergarten by Norman Bridwell
Week 23 April 9 – 13, 2018
Clifford Goes to Dog School by Norman Bridwell
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
Week 24 April 16 – 20, 2018
Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean
Clifford Goes to Dog School by Norman Bridwell
Week 25 April 23 – 27, 2018
The Letters Are Lost! by Lisa Campbell Ernst
Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean
Week 26 April 30 – May 5, 2018
Last Day of ReadingPals: Say goodbye to your Pals’ Ask your teacher if you can read to the entire class
Last Day of ReadingPals: Say goodbye to your Pals’ Ask your teacher if you can read to the entire class
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Share your pictures with us!
Every child in the ReadingPals program has a media release form. Take pictures with your children
and send them to us at [email protected] or by text at (754) 900-1073.
If you are using social media, use the hashtag #ReadingPalsMiami @unitedwaymiami.
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Thank You on behalf of the entire
ReadingPals staff!
Luisa Cotto Associate Director,Engagement & Communications External Affairs United Way of Miami-Dade 305.646.7118 Office [email protected]
Danielle Wolfe Engagement Coordinator; ReadingPals External Affairs United Way of Miami-Dade 305.646.7021 Office [email protected]
Helpful Links: http://www.unitedwaymiami.org/readingpals https://www.facebook.com/UnitedWayMiami https://twitter.com/unitedwaymiami http://tinyurl.com/readingpalscurriculum