VEMA CONFERENCE

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VEMA CONFERENCE OCTOBER 11, 2007 PRESENTED
BY TERRI BRITT DONNA SHEFFER
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GROWING READERS
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Did you know ...
1 out of every 5 of our nations school-age
children suffer from reading failures?
A majority of all poor readers have an early
history of spoken-language deficits?
A child who is not a fluent reader by 4th grade
is likely to struggle with reading in adulthood?
Poor reading and writing skills have a
devastating lifelong impact 75 of school
dropouts report reading problems, and at least
half of adolescents and young adults with
criminal records have reading difficulties?
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FAST FACTS ON LITERACY
More than 20 of adults read at or below a fifth
grade level. The National Adult Literacy Survey
found that 40 million Americans age 16 and older
have significant literacy needs.
70 of people with the lowest literacy skills
have no full or part time job.
Low literacy in adults has a direct and
measurable impact on both the education and
quality of life of their children.
National Institute For Literacy
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Learning Disabilities
Poverty
COMMON CAUSES OF ILLITERACY
Lack of Literacy within the Family
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tudents
verseeing
nique
earners by
odeling
nd
eaching
ffective reading
trategies
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SOULMATES Kids Connecting With Kids
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Pairs sat reading at tables or sharing chairs at
computers throughout the G. A. Treakle Elementary
School library. Four mornings a week, for 45
minutes each morning, the Soulmates team up.
Twenty specially chosen fourth-graders partner
with 20 first-graders who need extra help with
reading.Its not playtime. Reading is the
crucial building block for a lifetime of
education, formal and informal.
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LEARNING TO READ . . .
Pairs sat reading at tables or sharing chairs at
computers throughout the G. A. Treakle Elementary
School library. Four mornings a week, for 45
minutes each morning, the Soulmates team up.
Twenty specially chosen fourth-graders partner
with 20 first-graders who need extra help with
reading. Its not playtime. Reading is the
crucial building block for a lifetime of
education, formal and informal.
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HOW FIRST GRADERS ARE CHOSEN ?
Reading Recovery Screening
PALS Screening
Observation Survey
Teacher Recommendation
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LEARNING TO LEAD . . .
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HOW ARE SOULMATES CHOSEN?
Fourth grade students fill out an application.

• SOULMATES APPLICATION
• Name _________________________ Teacher
  ___________
• (Please respond to the following in complete
  sentences)
• Why do you want to be a SOULMATE?
  _________________________________________
• Give three characteristics that you have that
  would make you a good SOULMATE.
• __________________________________________________
  ____________________
• __________________________________________________
  ____________________
• __________________________________________________
  ____________________

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Classroom teachers choose SOULMATEs based upon
Responses on application
Work habits of individual student
Leadership abilities
Display of compassion for others
Ability to serve as a role model
Students who need a successful experience to
increase confidence and self-worth
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School finds that tutoring pairs have much to
teach each other
The program is as much about the tutors as those
being tutored. Students apply- some 80 for 20
slots this year- and are picked for academic and
nonacademic reasons.
Leadership skills Character-building Confidence
boost
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SOULMATE Training
Concept of Print / Word
Modeling
Decoding
Tracking
Questioning Strategies
Shared Reading / Repeated Readings
Transfer of Responsibility
Aim for Accuracy
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E
I
A
L
N
R
B
O
T
E
C
S
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Pizza Party Social
Winter Break Social
Ice Cream Sundae Social
Welcome Bags
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The Presidents Volunteer Service Award

www.thepresidentsvolunteerserviceaward.gov
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How We Organize Our Program
Meet Monday Thursday
Begins at the first bell ends after morning
announcements (Approx. 30 minutes)
Select book no higher than 1.5 on AR list
Read book at least twice, modeling good reading
strategies
Discuss book and pose questions to check for
understanding
Help with AR test, reading the question and
answer choices
Celebrate with student (goal is accuracy rate not
number of books read)
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How do I get started?
Start simple
Set goals
Be sure to train your fourth graders to model
according to your reading goals
Assign one first grader for each fourth grade
It is important that the pairs are changed only
if necessary
Set up a simple reward system
Monitor and support your tutor. Problem solve
with them on ways to resolve conflict or
strengthen technique