Reading is fundamental

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READING is FUNDAMENTAL
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A Skilled Workforce Begins with a Prepared Child

• Every community faces the pressures of a changing
  employment landscape, and Hampton Roads is no
  different.
• 85 of new job growth is in the technology and
  services arena
• 65 of service jobs require increasing levels of
  skill with technology aids
• Very few jobs today can be accomplished without
  being able to read and source information

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A Skilled Workforce Begins with a Prepared Child

• Every day life is increasingly dependent on being
  able to read, comprehend and manage large amounts
  of information
• Failure for a child to attain their on grade
  literacy level by the time they reach 4th grade
  typically will result in a non productive citizen
  who is often lost to society.
• Raise a Reader (Project Head Start) essentially
  does what RIF does but that program stops when a
  child begins school and it does not cover the
  entire population of preschool/school age
  children.

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In Norfolk the functional illiteracy rate is 12
ABOVE the national average 29 of adults!
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HOW RIF WORKS

• Three themed events per year
• Each event has THREE parts
• Pre-Activity themed activity designed to engage
  the students in reading for information and
  knowledge
• Distribution where students receive books that
  match the activity theme
• Post-activity Teachers reinforce book ownership
  by assessing what students learned form their
  books and how they are taking care of their books

What is a THEME? A subject area that the events
activities and books center around. Examples are
Inventors, Heroes, Culture or Math
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WHY RIF IS VALUABLE
The combination of activities, themes and getting
books related to the themes ties information
gathering and book ownership together.
Students are motivated to OWN information!
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How Can Your Organization Help?
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• Let Me Tell You How!
• We want your organization to provide a team of
  volunteers (8-12) who can do two hours training
  and then participate at three readings over the
  year. The initial 2008-2009 reading is complete.
• Each reading involves 3 hours at the school.
• A smaller group would be asked to follow up the
  reading by distributing books at the same
  schools, again taking three hours.

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Encourage Employees to Volunteer
Event Volunteers Pre-activity and Book
Distribution Day Eight volunteers assigned to
each school for each visit. There are 2 visits
per event (Pre-activity and Distribution) and 3
events per year.

• Event volunteers commit to 3 hours each time they
  visit a school.
• School Visits are either Pre-activity OR Book
  distribution days
• VOLUNTEERS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON The
  interaction with students ENERGIZES them!

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This is NOT Just Reading to Kids!

• Volunteers are trained to not just read to
  children but how to engage them in learning new
  information.
• In addition to reading, a sampling of activities
  includes
• Creating ads to sell a story
• Measuring, counting and other skill builders
• Changing the endings to stories or even the
  characters!

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Sponsoring a School or Book Day

The program is extremely economical. The cost per
child for three activity days and three free
books in under 6.00 per child. Yet, for many of
the children we work with these are the FIRST
books they OWN!
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Now is the time for us to join forces and reach
every child with this message We want you to
be successful because we want you to be part
of our future.
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When RIF day comes our school children
light up to see the volunteers.
Be a part of something that has a tangible impact
on our children. Be A Part of RIF!
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• Thank You!

For more information please contact
The Rotary Club of Norfolk 414 West Bute Street,
Norfolk, 23510 622-7971
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Current VolunteerTeams
Electronic Systems Incorporated Federal Bureau
of Investigation The Foleck Center for Cosmetic,
Implant, and Restorative Dentistry Landmark
Communications (multiple) The Norfolk
Foundation Norfolk State University Old
Dominion University Ladys Mens Monarchs
Basketball Teams UBS Westminster-Canterbury on
Chesapeake Bay