CARE - Cross Age Reading Experience

Grade Level: 3-5

Academic Areas: Language Arts

Duration of service: Year-Long

Character Virtues: Giving and Caring

Service Areas: Tutoring and Mentoring 

Materials Needed: picture books (enough for the entire year), individual student journals,

paper, pencils, and art supplies

Total Cost of Project: varies greatly depending on whether or not materials can be donated

Time Needed for Project: 60 – 90 minutes per week

Time Needed for Teacher Preparation: 40 – 60 minutes per week

Experience Needed in CE: limited

Experience Needed in SL: limited

Service Learning Project:

C.A.R.E. (Cross Age Reading Experiences) connects skilled readers with unskilled (grade 2) and non- (preschool) readers during a year-long project. Older (grades 3-5) students will be responsible for choosing literature and designing assessment projects that evaluate literary elements such as character, setting, and plot. They will meet weekly during the school day at times determined by their teachers. Through this project, older students will improve their oral reading skills and writing skills while serving as a reading role model for younger students. In addition, older students will assist in coordinating the school’s “1000 Book Club.” This program allows preschoolers and their families to borrow bags of books. The goal is for preschoolers to have 1000 books read to them before they enter kindergarten. In this part of the project, older students will read to preschoolers at a fall “1000 Book Club” kickoff party, help maintain books and records for the program, and write letters to the preschoolers and include them in the bags of books. Older students will be expected to maintain a reflection journal throughout this project.. At the completion of the project, students will celebrate with an “I C.A.R.E. About Reading Day” where students will display all their projects and share them and treats with all involved community partners.

Goals and Objectives

Academic

Learning Goal: Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction, while helping to develop the love of literature in younger students.

Standard: ELA #4 Language for Social Interaction

Learning Goal: Analyze literary elements such as character, setting, and plot.

Standard: Standards #2 and #3

Service

Community need: Poor school performance and low self-esteem resulting from the lack of literacy skills of primary students

Possible Community Partners: Second grade students, district pre-school children,local families, PTA, Rensselaer County Even Start staff

Objective: To provide frequent oral reading experiences, on a one-to-one basis, between 4th graders and 2nd graders, and 4th graders and preschoolers.

Objective: To provide frequent opportunities to respond to the literature, on a one-to-one basis, between 4th graders and 2nd graders.

Objective: To train 2nd grade students to read aloud to younger students.

Objective: To assist in maintaining books and records for the preschool “1000 Book Club.”

Character

Virtue: Giving/Caring

Objective: Sharing time and talents with 2nd grade students and preschoolers, while serving as a reading role model and mentor.

Virtue: Trustworthiness

Objective: To become a dependable reading/writing mentor, while being accountable for the completion of tasks during the allocated time. Also, to help maintain records and books for the “1000 Book Club.”

Key Activities

Key Planning Activities

1. Teachers/PTA/school librarian will provide access to a wide variety of literature for the students in grade 4 to choose from.

2. Grade 4 teacher will review literary elements such as character, setting, and plot with students.

3. Teachers will guide 4th grade students as they mentor 2nd grade students.

4. 4th grade students will investigate, contact, and receive guidance from local community groups working with pre-school children including The Averill park Pre-School and the Rensselaer County Even Start Program.

Key Service Activities

1. 4th grade students will read literature to 2nd grade children in the school.

2. 4th grade students will train 2nd grade students to read to younger children.

3. 4th grade students will read to preschool children at the "1000 BookClub" kick-off party.

4. Students will design a follow-up activity (poster, skit, mobile, puppet) that allows younger students to identify character, setting, and plot based on the literature that was shared.

5. Older students will mentor younger children as they cooperatively complete an instructional presentation project in response to literary elements.

6. 4th grade students will periodically check “1000 Book Club” records and books and alert teachers to any problems.

Key Reflection Activities

1. (oral) Generate a chart of oral responses about challenges that may arise when working with younger children, and how older students could respond to these challenges in a caring and giving way

2. (written) Maintain a  journal documenting feelings as they work with youngsters, including questions such as: How does it feel to have younger students depend on you for developing literary skills?

3. (performance) Pre-Activity: Students will role play caring and giving behavior in mentoring younger students. Post-Activity: Choose their favorite story along with its project to present to both classes.

4. (performance) 4th grade students will role play younger student behaviors as they train 2nd graders to read to younger students.

Celebration Activity

1. "1000 Book Club" Kick-off Party - This will be held in late fall in our school. When preschoolers and their families attend the yearly kick-off party, 4th grade students will read to preschoolers while parents learn about the specifics of the program.

2. " I C.A.R.E. About Reading Day" - Younger and older students will display all their projects and share them and treats with all community partners. Principal and/or librarian can present certificates. Parents, preschoolers, and Even Start staff will also be invited to attend.