$2,500 Grant Awarded to Orange Rotary Club for Elementary School Reading Project
Posted on Aug 13, 2016
The PAWS for Reading project is awarded a $2,500 grant from The Rotary Foundation
The PAWS for Reading project received $2,500 grant from The Rotary Foundation (TRF). While TRF is funded by Rotarians, clubs must complete detailed grant applications to be considered to receive the funds. Orange Rotarians Bill Hepler and David Laylin kicked off the summer phase by reading the first book to the students and giving each child a book to own and take home, along with a postcard to return as soon as the child finishes the book, which will begin the process of receiving additional books, up to 8 over the summer.
PAWS for Reading is for kindergarten and first grade students having difficulty with reading. The project starts at the end of the school year with a summer reading program to minimize the loss of critical skills over the summer months, and continues through the following school year. Books are purchased for the children to keep, particularly because lack of books in the home also contributes to the achievement gap between low and middle income young readers. The objective is to build positive reading behaviors by increasing motivation and engagement and involve parents in their children’s learning.
By providing books by mail throughout the summer, reading skills will be maintained or increased. By providing books for students during the school year, we continue to promote literacy in the home and reading materials for families in need.
Between 400-500 books will be bought for students for the summer mail program and for the children to take home throughout the school year.
The books will remain in the homes. Rotary members will read to the participating students on average of once a month during the school year to promote engagement, help maintain focus on reading and to continue to provide books for the students to take home.
The school division will select books for the students based on a survey of their interests. A reading specialist will communicate with parents on best ways to read to and advance their children's literacy skills. The school division will provide a teacher to coordinate the program. At the end of the school year, each child will receive a book to take home that includes a stamped, addressed postcard with some questions about the book for the child to answer. When the child finishes the book and answers the questions, s/he mails the postcard back to the coordinator to get another book, for up to 8 books over the course of the summer. Once the new school year begins, Rotary members will read to students monthly and send them home with new books in their backpacks.
Rotary members will kick off the summer phase by reading the first book to the students and giving each child a copy of the book to own and take home, along with a postcard to return as soon as the child finishes the book, which will begin the process of receiving additional books, up to 8 over the summer.
Rotary members will also read to the participating students monthly during the following school year and send the books home with students.
