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Winter 2020 Volunteer Training Schedule

1/20/2020

Thinking about becoming a reading tutor with Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe? Do we have a training for you!

Our fun and comprehensive volunteer training sessions equip new reading tutors with the skills and tools they need to successfully help their students learn to read at grade level. We provide every volunteer with 12 hours of group training across 4 different sessions (one 3-hour classroom training per session). This winter, we have 3 different training schedules giving you even more opportunities to get involved! *Note: Days 1 and 2 of each training session are consecutive.

See a training group that works with your schedule? Reserve your spot today by filling out a
Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe volunteer application: click here.

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January Continuing Education Modules

1/14/2020

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Continued Training Opportunities for Current 2019 - 2020 Reading Tutors

Are you a current reading tutor with Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe? Don't miss this month's continuing education modules! There are multiple opportunities for you to equip your tutor toolkit with even more helpful strategies and instruments for teaching reading (and writing).

Each module needs a minimum of 10 tutors signed up; the class sizes are capped at 18 tutors and take place at the Read to Succeed office (16A Steward St. Asheville, NC 28806). *Note: For cancellations, please phone the office so that we can re-open that space for another tutor.

To register for the course(s) you'd like to attend, click the orange SIGN UP link beside the course.

Schedule & Sign-Ups:

Tuesday, 1/14

10:30-12:00 - Syllable Basics SIGN UP
1:30-3:00 - ELP | Comprehension: Written Responses SIGN UP
*Usually, students who need the Extended Lesson Plan (ELP) skills are in 3rd/4th grades.

Wednesday, 1/15

10:30-12:00 - ELP | Comprehension: Written Responses SIGN UP
1:30-3:00 - Syllable Basics SIGN UP

Thursday, 1/16

10:30-12:00 - Teaching Syllables, pt 1: Open, closed, silent e SIGN UP
1:30-3:00 - ELP | Comprehension: Inference & Digging Deeper SIGN UP

Tuesday, 1/21

10:30-12:00 - ELP | Comprehension: Inference & Digging Deeper SIGN UP
1:30-3:00 - Teaching Syllables, pt 2: Vowel Teams, r-Controlled SIGN UP

Wednesday, 1/22

10:30-12:00 - Handwriting SIGN UP
1:30-3:00 - Teaching Syllables, pt 1: Open, closed, silent e SIGN UP

Thursday, 1/23

10:30-12:00 - Teaching Syllables, pt 2: Vowel Teams, r-Controlled SIGN UP
1:30-3:00 - Word Attack Skills for Big Words SIGN UP

Course Descriptions

Syllable Basics - “A syllable is a WORD or PART of a word with ONE VOWEL SOUND.” Gain a bird’s-eye view of one of the smallest units of language–the syllable–and learn terminology and conceptual knowledge. This module is the first class in the syllable series.
Teaching Syllables, pt 1: Open, closed, silent e - Learn skills and strategies to teach the first three syllable types and learn to navigate resources including controlled texts and matching games. This module is the second class in the syllable series.
Teaching Syllables, pt 2: Vowel Teams, r-controlled - Learn skills and strategies to teach vowel team and r-controlled syllable types and learn to navigate resources including controlled texts and matching games. This module is the third class in the syllable series.
Word Attack Skills for Big Words - We can break words down by sound, into syllables, or we can break them down into the smallest units of meaning, which are morphemes (Latin: prefixes, suffixes, roots; Old E: base word & affixes). Learn how to break words down into smaller units of sound (for reading and pronunciation) and meaning (for vocabulary & comprehension). This module is for students currently in 3rd and 4th grades.
Extended Lesson Plan | Comprehension: Written Responses - Learn skills and strategies for teaching teach written responses to comprehension questions. This module is for students currently in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade.
Extended Lesson Plan | Inference and Digging Deeper - Learn skills and strategies for teaching students how to draw conclusions based on evidence and reasoning and how to dig deeper into understanding non-fiction texts. This module is for students currently in 3rd or 4th grade.
Handwriting - Gain AVK strategies for teaching print manuscript letter formation of both lower and upper case manuscript letters. This module is useful for students in all grade levels.

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10 Ways to Help Kids Read More Books in the New Year

1/13/2020

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Has your family made your New Year’s resolutions or intentions yet? If reading more books is on the list, especially for your children, don’t miss these 10 expert ideas for making it happen

Help them find a genre, series, or author with many books. Getting hooked on reading can be as simple as finding a category or series of books you really like. Once your child finishes a book they enjoyed, help them find out if it is part of a series or if there are similar books by that author. If not, look for books that fall into the same genre and have them pick one out that looks interesting.
Listen to audiobooks in the car. Swap out your Top 40 hits for an audiobook on your next car ride with the kids. Access to audiobooks has exploded over the past decade, and it is easier than ever to listen via CD or through your smartphone (in the car, while folding laundry together, wherever!). Don’t want to pay for a service like Audible? Ask at your local library and see if you can “check out” audiobooks for free!
Find a book club they can join. Reading is even more fun when you can share the experience with other readers! In the 21st century, book clubs don’t have to require in-person meetings. Some online book clubs for kids may have small monthly subscription fees, but you can also find free book clubs via your local library or online sources including Brightly and Virtual Book Club for Kids.
Set a reading challenge. A little personal competition can be a good lesson in goal setting, dedication, and achievement. Why not set a reading challenge with your children for the year (or each month of the year)? You might track the number of books read or hours spent reading. When they hit their reading milestones, you can reward them with small gifts like a trip to the bookstore with $10 to spend, new decorations for their reading nook, or subscription to a magazine they like.
Read the movies. More and more book-to-film adaptations are happening, especially with children’s books and teen literature. Take advantage of a movie date and commit to reading the book on which the movie is based with your child before or after seeing the movie. Spend time discussing the similarities and differences between the two and what you both liked and did not like about the movie adaptation.

Tip: You can do this with older movie adaptations too and make it a family movie night at home. Some book to movie ideas include:

- Harry Potter
- How to Train Your Dragon
- Fantastic Mister Fox
- Ramona and Beezus
- The Babysitter’s Club
- Wizard of Oz
- Zathura
- Charlotte’s Web
- Holes
- Nim’s Island
- A Wrinkle in Time
- James and the Giant Peach
- Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Harriet the Spy
- Matilda
- Jumanji

More book-to-movie selections can be found here.
Ritualize reading. Daily reading time should be something worth looking forward to, not a chore your child is dreading. Set an example by taking part in daily reading time yourself, whether it is reading together with your child, or each of you reading on your own in the same room. Even just 20 minutes a day can make a huge difference.
Make books readily available. A recent survey by the National Literacy Trust in the UK found that students who owned books were six times as likely to read above grade level. Access to books has been shown to help improve literacy outcomes, so an excellent way to encourage your child to read more books is simply to have more around. Need help finding free or discount-priced books. Try:

- Your local library
- Little Free Libraries and book banks in your local neighborhoods
- Looking online at sources like the International Children’s Digital Library
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
- Local book swaps and exchanges (check social media and local news for these types of events)
Pack your backup books. You might have a first-aid kit and spare tire in the car in case of an emergency, but what about backup books? For runs to the laundromat, appointments that take longer than expected, and simple everyday errands, having a stash of books in the car for your kids to turn to for entertainment (instead of a smartphone) is a must.
Schedule surprise reading guests. One way to excite an unmotivated reader is to plan a reading surprise they’ll love. Consider asking a faraway relative, like an uncle or grandparent, to video chat and read a book with your child. Or ask your child to read to their pet dog or cat, to a younger sibling, or their babysitter. Make it a standing event and coordinate a new surprise guest each month. Bonus tip: Set your child up with a pen pal with whom they can share book ideas and suggestions.
Start a reading journal. Sometimes just looking at a record of what you have read can compel you to read more. A reading journal is a fun and practical way to encourage kids to track what they have read, make notes about what they liked and didn’t like, and pick up another book to read and add to the list. A wonderful bonus, practicing writing can complement a child’s reading as it reinforces letter shapes, patterns, and word formations.

What other ideas do you have for encouraging children to read more books? Please leave a comment!

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Winter 2020 Volunteer Training Schedule

January Continuing Education Modules

10 Ways to Help Kids Read More Books in the New Year

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