Budding Readers

Budding Readers is an early literacy program that matches three-year-old children at child care centers with a Reading Partner for a weekly one-to-one interactive reading session. Reading Partners nurture the blossoming of these “budding readers” into life-long lovers of books, reading and learning as they work to develop the early literacy skills the children will need for future success in school.

2011-2012 Program Outcomes:

  • 15 Reading Partners at partnership sites served 425 children.
  • 88 percent of children demonstrated development in early literacy skills needed for future success in school.
  • 4,463 books were distributed to children to begin a home library.

PROGRAM IMPACT

Chris did not speak at all at the beginning of the school year. He was withdrawn, cautious in the classroom and demonstrated little knowledge of his surrounding environment. This raised a concern that he might have a learning issue.

Fortunately for Chris, as a three-year-old he was qualified to participate in the Literacy Coalition’s Budding Readers Program at his preschool center for a weekly one-to-one interactive reading session with the program’s Reading Partner, Miss Mathis.

Initially, Chris was non-verbal, timid and unresponsive to all the literacy activities Miss Mathis presented during their reading sessions. However, her 36 years of experience as a preschool and kindergarten classroom teacher had taught her to be caring and patient with her students and, most importantly, how to accommodate her instruction to the individual needs and learning style of each child.

The positive attention and individualized instruction Chris receives weekly with Miss Mathis has had a dramatic impact on his development. His classroom teacher, Miss Eilin, reports that she now has a totally different child in her classroom. Chris has come out of his shell and is smiling, talking, participating in class activities and is interactive and social with his classmates. He now recognizes his name, shows interest in letters and often, on his own initiative, goes over to the book corner, picks up a book and turns the pages as he looks through it.

Miss Mathis recently noted, “Chris continues to make progress by leaps and bounds! He talks so much more and is excited and animated! This is such a change from the beginning. He uses complete sentences to discuss the story.”

Thankfully, the love of reading and learning is blossoming in “budding readers” like Chris, through the one-to-one attention that the children participating in the Budding Readers program receive from their Reading Partners.

My First Steps Child Development Center
Budding Readers Partnership Site