Reading doesn’t have to stay on the page – it can be fully immersive! For the 2023-2024 Academic Pilots, elementary and middle school students will discover how they can turn the pages of their imagination into unforgettable real-life experiences.
At the close of the 2023 academic year, the USF team evaluated the learnings from the “Secret Society of Readers (SSR)” 6th Grade Reading Initiative Pilot at Booker Middle School.
There are three key insights that led to program modification for this coming academic year:
- The first is the need for more time with children as achieved through multi-years of instruction. To rebuild motivation takes time and we need a continuous pipeline across all grade levels.
- The second is various grade-appropriate overlays of enrichment that further excite a child to read to their unique interests.
- The third is enhancing USF’s focus on program-continuous mentor training for participating college students.
The 2022-2023 Booker Literacy Project will be coming back this school year, incorporating these three key insights. By covering more ground and including two key initiatives that make reading transformative, we will be bringing real-world exploratory learning to upper-elementary and middle school learners.
“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”
— Becoming a Nation of Readers (1985, p. 23)
Jim Trelease’s The Read Aloud Handbook (1979/2001)
Overview
Booker Middle School 6th & 7th Grade SSR & Inquiry-Based & Experiential Learning
The successful “Secret Society of Readers” program returns to middle school, with USF college students again acting as mentors to students, but in addition to participation in 6th grade, it will now span to 7th grade to include last year’s SSR cohort.
Importantly, the 7th grade section will now also include age-appropriate approaches that add vibrant enrichment:
Some Inquiry-Based and Experiential Learning for 7th Graders will include:
- Exploration of community-related topics
- Community-based experiences — field trips, guest speakers, virtual exchanges, virtual reality
- Use inquiry to drive literacy and learning
- Focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Final inquiry projects for presentation
Our goal at Booker Middle School is to light up the lives of scholars and ignite their futures through the power of literacy engagement and innovative learning. The Secret Society of Readers program does that and more. In it, we use mentored engagement in choice and wide reading, and we craft positive near-peer relationships that not only nurture a love for books but also empower students to build their vocabulary, enhance fluency, and deepen their comprehension skills. Returning students who participated want to participate again this year – that’s true success.
– Dr. LaShawn Frost, Principal of Booker Middle School
Gocio & Tuttle Elementary School 5th Grade SSR
Sarasota’s Gocio and Tuttle Elementary Schools not only have the highest concentration of students of poverty but also have the highest percentage of non-English speaking students. Both schools are feeder schools to Booker Middle School, thus providing a continuum of academic involvement.
To expand access to students, we are reaching down to the 5th grade and implementing the successful SSR Initiative. This means:
- Upper-grade elementary students will be paired with a USF college student mentor (near-peers) to build positive relationships about reading
- Children select books of interest to them
- Focus on the development of vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension
“The Secret Society of Readers program connects college students with 5th-grade students. The goal is to provide a positive role college model that encourages reading and inspires students to view becoming a college student as a viable option in their future.”
— Steve Royce, Principal, Gocio Elementary School, and Patti Folino, Principal, Tuttle Elementary School
Gocio and Tuttle Elementary School 2nd Grade Read-Alouds
A further expansion of our reading initiatives includes a brand new pilot with 2nd-grade students and USF education students, to be implemented at Gocio and Tuttle Elementary Schools to provide targeted support within the Booker Middle School pipeline.
In order to support existing English as Second Language (ESL) instruction, the 2nd Grade Reading Intervention Program uses the critical technique of “read-alouds”…
- To reinforce and build important foundational skills
- Introduce vocabulary
- Provide a model of fluent, expressive reading
- Help children recognize what reading for pleasure is all about
For Fall 2023, in partnership with University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee College of Education, 2nd grade students at Gocio and Tuttle Elementary Schools will weekly participate in USF-directed “read-alouds” with USF College of Education students from the university’s “Children’s Literature and Teaching Writing” class. The program goal is to foster a love for reading and books for 2nd graders.
- Readings from high-quality children’s literature related to young people’s interests will be selected and approved by county guidelines and Gocio and Tuttle teachers.
- USF college students will facilitate multimodal writing with the 2nd-grade students in response to their shared reading experiences.
- Reading and related tasks will focus on vocabulary development, facilitation of fluent reading, and comprehension of text in various genres.
- USF College of Education students will also benefit from the field experience, gaining practical time in selecting quality literature, designing and implementing instruction, connecting reading and writing, and giving back to the community.
“Oral language development is an area of need with our student population. Our teachers have been involved in ongoing professional learning to increase opportunities for our students to engage in strategies to increase oral language and vocabulary. Having the partnership with USF will allow these opportunities to evolve with a grade level of students needing the push. Our Tuttle students will benefit from an additional voice in the classroom with fresh insight and enthusiasm. The USF students will add a level of excitement to put their learning immediately into practice. It’s a Win-Win for all.”
— Patti Folino, Principal, Tuttle Elementary School