PTA
and the SITE Council of Sierra View Elementary School sponsor the Book
Buddies Reading Program in order to increase reading fluency and
comprehension as well as to enhance self-esteem for first and second
grade students. Young readers are paired with a caring adult to become
"book buddies". Students gain the opportunity to obtain the additional
practice and confidence often needed to become a successful reader.
Adult
tutors are volunteers from the school and community who are committed
to helping young children learn to read. Tutors participate in an
initial training program and receive ongoing support and training
provided by the program coordinators.
Tutors
are trained to assist young children in becoming better readers.
Tutors work with individual students in a one-on-one situation for
thirty minutes up to three times a week. Tutors begin each day with a
review of the previous day's reading selections before students are
introduced to a new book. Tutors are trained to model expression, echo
read, read together and provide coaching assistance as the student
reads. Tutors use the coaching method of "Pause, Prompt and Praise:, to
help students to develop the use of self-correction strategies in order
to encourage independent reading skills.
Students
and tutors enjoy reading the set of literature books provided by the
book Buddies Reading Program. The set contains numerous titles that are
arranged by level of difficulty so that students may successfully build
reading fluency and comprehension.
Sierra
View Elementary first and second grade teachers work together with
Program Director and Teacher Coordinators to select students to select
students who will benefit most from this program. Book Buddies Reading
Program is held in the school library where program materials are
maintained.