“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you know, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss
Book Buddies End-of-the Year Report June 2011
89% of Book Buddies Students Now Reading on Grade Level
Pictured above: The “Literacy Blooms Tea” held on Saturday, May 7th was a great success! The Terrace Room looked beautiful and the music, food, Garden of Verse and volunteers were all wonderful: Many thanks to our Leadership Team: Samantha Harpring, Laura Burbrink and Shama Padalkar, along with committee members, Anna Barnett, Yuying Chu, Ashleigh Wentworth Fischer (chef), Sandy Andriaccio (flowers) and to all of the other donors and volunteers.
Thanks also to those of your who attended the tea or bought a ticket for the drawing. With you help, we were able to raise approximately $4,500 for Book Buddies! This money will be used to purchase books, supplies, training materials and other needed items for the Book Buddy Program during the upcoming school year.
From classroom teachers –
“The students LOVE the one-on-one attention and the daily practice is vital.”
“Students are building good relationships with caring adults. This helps them with their social skills we well.”
Thanks for another wonderful year of Book Buddies! Because of your patience and dedication, our students have moved forward in their reading skills. These are students who were reading anywhere from 6-12 months behind when the program began.
Book Buddies students are those who might otherwise fall through the cracks and not receive the personal attention you are able to provide. The staff-led reading programs that are in place at all of our elementary schools focus on helping students who are more severely behind in their reading and need work on very basic skills. Book Buddies, however, targets the children who have the basic skills in place but need a “coach” to encourage them and help them fine-tune their decoding skills, fluency and comprehension.
You are that coach! With limited funding, budget cuts for remediation and a new test for 3rd graders, your role is more important than ever. Again, we thank you for the gift of your time. You are the reason Book Buddies is successful and has grown to be the largest volunteer organization in Bartholomew County.
º Book Buddies By the numbers: 89% of students were reading on
º 200 students grade level by the end of the
º 450 volunteers program based on book level and
º 100 days of tutoring STAR score.
º 10,000 hours of tutoring
Average book level increase:
7.8 levels
Average beginning book level:
6.2
Average ending book level:
13.9
Survey Results
We recently gave surveys to volunteers, teachers and Book Buddy
families. Here is what we learned:
º 100% of volunteers and teachers reported noticing a positive difference in Book
Buddies students; reading progress.
º 91% of volunteers saw their students’ attitudes toward reading improve.
º 93% of families said they would recommend Book Buddies to other families.
º 100% of families told us their children talk about Book Buddies at home.
Comments:
From Book Buddy Volunteers –
“Book Buddies is the highlight of my week!”
“I, personally, feel so rewarded when a child of mine reaches another level in reading.”
From classroom teachers –
“The students LOVE the one-on-one attention and the daily practice is vital.”
“Students are building good relationships with caring adults. This helps them with their social skills we well.”
From a Book Buddy Parent-
“She has become a more confident reader and wants to read all by herself. Prior to Book Buddies, it was like pulling teeth to get her to practice her reading.”
From a Book Buddy Student-
“My favorite part is when my Buddy and I play games.”
º Approximately 960 students have benefited from Book Buddies since it began in 2006.
º This year Book Buddies included some 3rd grade students who needed extra support. Next year, we hope to include even more 3rd graders.
º Children not reading on grade level by 3rd grade have a 1 in 8 chance of ever catching up.
º Having children read a lot is one of the crucial components of becoming a good reader. The only way to get good, is to practice.
Book Buddies for the 2011-2012 school year will begin on Tuesday, September 6th. If you are a returning volunteer, you will be contacted mid-late August by your site supervisor.
Book Buddy Volunteer
Appreciation Movie Night
A wonderful evening was held at the YES Cinema in appreciation of our Book Buddy Volunteers. On Monday, May 16th, over 100 volunteers and guests, were treated to the Academy Award nominated movie, True Grit (2010). Our guests watched a Book Buddy presentation, and Ms. Karen Garrity, Director of Elementary Education, began the evening by welcoming everyone. Volunteers also received a free drink in a Book Buddy cup (sponsored by First Financial Bank).
I-READ Test for 3rd graders
Next spring, all Indiana 3rd grade students will be required to take a new assessment test called I-READ. Students who do not pass this test will not be promoted to 4th grade. This is a concern for parents, teachers and our students.
The Book Buddies program is an important part of helping our 2nd and 3rd grade students read at grade level by the end of the school year. We are hoping to GROW the Book Buddies program to help even more students achieve this goal, but we need MORE VOLUNTEERS to make this happen! Please share your Book Buddy experience with a friend and encourage them to give “One Hour a Week to Change a Life Forever!”
Book Buddy Contact Information
The Book Buddy Office will be closed from July 1st- August 1st. If you have a question, please call 812-376-4461 and leave a message. Someone will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also email Book Buddies at: bookbuddies@bcsc.k12.in.us.
Book Buddies is on Facebook. Find us at Bartholomew County Book Buddies and stay updated on Book Buddy happenings!
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