Reading Partners: Creating Caring Communities Riki Berglin, Jennifer Corry, Megan Denny, and Sarah Osborn

Our Group Riki: “No Child Left Behind: A Fragmented Good Intention”, Earth Science, San Leandro Jennifer: “The Effects of Welfare and Living”, Sociology, San Pablo Megan: "Education for One, Education for All”, Performing Arts, San Francisco Sarah: “Fueling Our Youth: Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act” Montessori Education, San Pablo

Reading Partners: A brief history Founded in 1999 by Mary Wright Shaw, Molly McCrory, and Jean Bacigalupi in Menlo Park, CA. The founders created a nonprofit “one-on-one tutorial program” to help improve literacy rates of underachieving students in low income areas. The schools Reading Partners serves are labeled “Title 1” schools. Used volunteers from local communities as tutors. Reading Partners is now a national organization and has locations in California, New York, Dallas, Baltimore, Colorado, Tulsa, Charleston, and Washington, DC. 7,000 students are enrolled with Reading Partners.

Reading Partners: Mission and Vision Mission: “Our mission is to help children become lifelong readers by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction with measurable results.” Vision: “We envision a future where all children in this nation have the reading skills they need to reach their full potential.”

Our Assignment One-hour tutorial session with a student once a week at our assigned elementary school. Read a book with our student and fill out a double-sided worksheet. Progress sheet to keep track of students weekly progress.

Our Mission: Pamphlets for Change Creating pamphlets to send home with students that promote parent-child reading activities. Our pamphlets provide fun and creative ways to engage students in these activities. These pamphlets will further the mission of reading partners and continue to improve student literacy rates.

LCS 124: Senior Capstone 1: Democracy and Active Citizenship Learning Objectives 1)Students will demonstrate a growing commitment to active participation in our democratic society. 2)Students will be able to articulate their thoughtful beliefs and attitudes about ethnic, racial social-class and gender inequalities manifested in our society. 3)Students will develop public speaking and communication skills (including computer skills and the use of electronic media) to exhibit their research and ideas, in class and in a public presentation.

Students will develop public speaking and communication skills (including computer skills and the use of electronic media) to exhibit their research and ideas, in class and in a public presentation. (Side One)

(Side Two)

Tutors can use specific strategies to improve their reading comprehension skills. (Side One)

(Side Two)

Teaching strategies and games for tutors to use help their students develop phonic skills. (Side One)

(Side Two)

Games parents can use with their children at home. (Side One)

(Side Two)

Our Objective: Practice makes perfect! By creating these pamphlets, we hope to give students additional reading and writing practice at home that they can do with their parents. Fostering parental support for students is a primary concern for our group. Students in Title 1 communities need support from their parents to reinforce what they learn in school and with Reading Partners.

Students will demonstrate a growing commitment to active participation in our democratic society. Over 240 hours of community service done in the past four years between the four of.

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Students will be able to articulate their thoughtful beliefs and attitudes about ethnic, racial social-class and gender inequalities manifested in our society. Riverside Elementary 2012

What is Democracy? “Thus democracy depends on the wide dispersion of power so that each citizen has both a vote and a voice.” (14, Lappé, “The Straightjacket of Thin Democracy”)

Democracy Gap Ralph Nader: “ ‘This control by the corporate government over our political government is creating a widening democracy gap. Active Citizens are left shouting their concerns over a deep chasm between them and their government.’” (2, Grover, Peschek,“Why a Critical Reader?”)

What is the Democracy Gap? Disparity between the increasing power of the government and the waning power of the people. The government’s policies do not necessarily address the wants and needs of the American people.

RP Closing the Gap A major gap in the government’s educational system Reading Partners in Title One Schools Public, Private, and Non-Profit Sectors Individualized instruction to students who are behind in their reading.

What is Social Mobility? Social mobility is the movement of individuals or groups in social standing and social position.

Original vs. New Proposal Our original idea to work was to create a pamphlet more focused on At Home activities and what the students can do outside of Reading Partners. New proposal: strategies volunteers can use for developing reading and comprehension skills. Meeting the needs of both beginning readers and comprehension learners, as well as resources for students within Reading Partners.

Recommendations Through Reading Partners: We are providing helpful strategies for new volunteers, as well as students, to support positive outcomes of social mobility in education.

Our Plan Our future vision for reading partners is to help them grow their program in the way they feel is most useful.

Democracy and Active Citizenship Culturally Socially Economically As future educators, working with Reading Partners has given us valuable insight on how we can address this democracy gap in our own future classrooms.