CCS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMTraining Session

Goals• To help you be as productive and efficient as possible

during your sessions.

• Provide details about how to support readers and writers.

Ten Ways to Help 

1. Talking with children

 

2. Reading to children 

3. Reading with children (Shared Reading) 

4. Helping children read on their own 

5. Writing for children 

6. Writing with children (Shared Writing) 

7. Helping children write on their own 

8. Understanding phonics, letters, and words 

9. Making books 

10. Connecting with children’s homes

Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (1997). Help America read. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Gradual Release of ResponsibilityLevel of Support Actions Activity

High

• Think aloud “You”• Demonstrate/Model

• Interactive Read Aloud

• Book Introduction• Extension Activity

“I Do”

• Think together• Additional

Demonstrations/ Models

• Provide Feedback

• Shared Reading• Book Introduction• Extension Activity “We Do

Together”

• Think on own “You Help”

• Check, Prompt, Reinforce

• Interactive instruction

• Reading New Book• Extension Activity

“You Do With My Help”

Low• Think on own• Independent problem

solving time

• Familiar Read• Home Connection• Extension Activity

“You Do Independently”

Your First Day…• Enter as a guest every time• Get to know where you work

• You may have a volunteer coordinator, but if not locate these key spots: office, library, restrooms, cafeteria

• Know the fire exits and the emergency procedures.

• Ask about bells, buzzers, and signals.• Make sure you are parked in the right

place.

• Try to be independent• Set up a regular volunteer schedule.• Get the materials from the designated

area.• Notify your volunteer coordinator or

the school if you are unable to attend.

Meeting Your Buddy• Share your name and a little

about yourself. Have your buddy do the same. Remember student information is confidential.

• Let your student know that you will be there on a regular basis.

• Be positive and engaging, let them know you care.

• Share a great short book.

Meeting Your Buddy

• Build a great relationship• Find out what their interest are.

• Make good use of your time• Make sure you have your tutoring

materials ready.

• Communicate with the teacher.

• Keep thinking, “How can we make this work even more powerful for the student.”

Familiar Read (Rereading)

• Practice makes perfect and your students will need lots of practice reading.

• Make sure the students have read the text and can read it easily.

• If they struggle jump in and read with them.

• This will build their confidence.

Shared Reading • Make it as fun as possible.

• The child needs to see the text.

• Demonstrate what you want them to do.

• Do it with them.

• Let them try it with your support if needed.

Interactive Read Aloud• Find wonderful books to read-

aloud and invite them to participate with you.

• Reading aloud helps introduce new language and experiences to the student.

• You will demonstrate phrased and fluent reading.

• Show your love for reading and try to spark their interest in books.

New Book Introduction• Introduce the student to what

the story is about.

• Talk about some of the vocabulary the child will read in the story.

• Look through the pictures and encourage questions.

• Expect the student to have a successful read, but leave problems for him/her to workout.

New Book • Your goal is to support the

student during his/her reading. • This does not mean telling them every

word.• It does mean showing them

something you do when you get to a hard word and then prompting them to try it next time.

• When they solve a problem point out their success after the reading.

• Things you can show them:• “I always try something.”• “I quickly reread it and think about

what (makes sense, sounds right, looks right).”

• “I look at the beginning of the word and say that much when I reread.”

• “I look for parts I know.”• “I know other words that start like that

word.”• “When something is wrong I quickly

reread and help myself.”

New Book

• What if the book is too hard?

• Read the book to the student and tell him/her you picked a bad book.

• Read the hard parts and let the student read the easy parts.

Extension Activities• Be creative and find ways to do

activities with the books you read together.

• Revisit the text to highlight high frequency words or key vocabulary.

• Have the students retell the story just read.

• Draw and label pictures.

• Write letters to characters.

• Create a chart of questions they still have about the book.

• Make a book that mimics the one he/she read.

Home Connection

• Some of the student’s work can be sent home to share with parents.

• Congratulations! You have made an important decision to help children with one of the greatest challenges they will ever face –the challenge of learning to read and write.

-Fountas & Pinnell

Questions