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Certainly the single greatest gift your organization, church or business can give to a school is early childhood literacy support. When your people offer an hour a week to a local school as reading mentors, you are giving those local teachers 1) a reduced workload, 2) children who have more social/emotional maturity, 3) faster advancement through school benchmarks, 4) the experience that they are not alone AND 5) a living example that the larger community has their backs.
Here are a few additional ways your organization can encourage your school:
Notes of Support
Think about how you feel when you get a handwritten note that was carefully written just for you. Teachers, administration and staff feel the same way. A hand-written note in their school mail cubby, discovered at the end of a hectic day, could be a balm to a school worker’s weary soul.
Work Parties
School district budgets are getting slashed all over the county, and all schools seemingly have a list of deferred maintenance. Organize a Saturday morning work party including your entire business/church/organization and encourage reading mentors and non-mentors alike to volunteer. A work party is like Christmas morning to the custodial staff, it lessens the anxiety of administration AND it provides a more beautiful space that helps students and teachers to thrive.
Ask If There is More
What else does your teacher-partner need to create the classroom experience to optimize learning? You might be amazed that their largest felt-needs are actually simple to fulfill… and what a gift that would be. Teachers may need a few more art supplies. They may need an “expert” to come share in class (the sort of expert that already exists in your organization.) They may need something that you already own but don’t use anymore. It never hurts to ask.
Parties
Face it, a reading-buddy program is a really important thing and it is something worth celebrating. An end-of-the-year party would be a great reward for a hard-working classroom. Imagine how fun it would be for the students to introduce their reading-buddy to the rest of their classmates after a long school year of learning.
Book Giveaways
Too many children grow up in houses with NO age-appropriate books. The Department of Education reports that 61% of children from low-income homes grow up with ZERO books.
Work with local and national book distribution organizations to supply your partner-classrooms with the gift of reading in the home.
