Reading aloud to young children is the most important thing we can do to help them become motivated, strong readers. Our Read Aloud volunteers do just that, sharing the joy of a good story while helping children develop the cognitive, language and social-emotional skills needed to be capable readers.
In our Read Aloud program, trained volunteers read aloud each week to approximately 4,300 children from underserved communities at early childhood education and Title 1 - eligible elementary school sites across San Diego. As a classroom-based program, we partner with elementary schools, Head Start and child development centers to share a love of reading with children in preschool through third grade.
The Read Aloud Program has three different tracks to help make reading matter
Preschool Read Aloud
An important benefit of reading aloud to our youngest listeners is helping them sharpen reading readiness skills. These skills are outlined by the California Department of Education and include:
A positive attitude towards books
Word knowledge
Concepts of print
Phonological awareness
Exposure to diverse literature
Imparting conceptual knowledge (colors, shapes, sounds, letters, numbers)
Program Information
Program year runs October-May; sessions are bimonthly and monthly depending on the program
Predetermined books with accompanying enrichment guides are provided for each session
Total session time: 30 min/classroom
Elementary Read Aloud
(Kindergarten-3rd Grade)
Reading aloud is rewarding for both volunteers and their listeners. Benefits of reading aloud include:
Activating young imaginations; fostering curiosity and critical thinking skills
Awakening children to new ideas and cultures, self-identity and individual interests
Growing a diverse vocabulary and abilities for self-expression
Giving children background knowledge and understanding about their world
Building attention spans and listening comprehension
Inspiring children to read and explore books on their own
Program Information
Program runs October - May for traditional schools or October - June for year round schools; sessions are weekly
Predetermined books, aligned with both the Common Core state standards as well as the science and social studies state frameworks, are provided with in-depth integrative strategy guides to support volunteers during each session
Total session time: 30 min/classroom
Elementary School Small Group Read Aloud Program
(Kindergarten-3rd Grade)
Volunteers first read the predetermined story with the entire class. Following the whole-class session/discussion, the volunteer then meets with the small groups of students, enabling deeper analyses of text, characters, author's purpose, and critical thinking skills while maximizing student engagement. Our book selections reflect a balance of both fiction and nonfiction texts that supplement the state standards and engender increased student interest.
Benefits for Small Group Read Aloud model:
Increases student engagement and motivation to participate
Provides additional language development support for English Language Learners
Enhances opportunities for students to delve more deeply into character traits, author's purpose, text features, and critical thinking analyses
Program Information
Program year runs October – June; sessions are weekly
Sessions consist of the following:
Whole-class read aloud (20 min)
Small group breakout centers (15 min each)
Groups of 3-5 students rotate working with volunteer while critically revisiting the story in greater depth
Total session time: 90 min
Book Giveaways
Understanding the importance of building home libraries and language rich environments, we give the children in the Read Aloud Program a brand new, high quality book to keep three times a year. For many children, these are the first books they have ever owned. Book ownership encourages children to share stories outside the classroom with their siblings, parents and friends. We are proud to distribute thousands of books to children, youth and their families each year.