A new school year is underway and Team Read coaches are already hard at work, participating in training and getting familiar with the program materials before they meet the reader they’ll be paired with.
If you attended our spring luncheon, you may have had the opportunity to look through a coach handbook or power reader journal. Those tools will be back this year, along with some new ones. So, let’s take a look at what coaches use in a tutoring session.
Decodable Books: This year, we’re bringing sets of Being a Reader books to all our program sites. These books are specially designed to help emerging readers learn basic letter sounds and how to “decode,” or sound out, words. These books provide building blocks by focusing on one letter sound at a time, for example, the short u sound is used repeatedly in the book “Rub-a-dub-dub.” After working their way through the series, readers will be better prepared to sound out longer words and read more complex books.
The Power Reader Journal: This journal, unique to Team Read, is a motivational tool for readers. In this journal they can set a goal, list the new words they’ve learned, and keep track of the books they read throughout the year. A look through the journal on a tough day helps a reader to see the progress they’ve made and remind them what they’re working towards.
The Coach Handbook: This is an essential tool for all Team Read coaches. The handbook includes a dry-erase board, so students can set short term goals for that day or week. There’s also a copy of the daily schedule to keep everyone on track, and tips for assessing progress to see if a reader is ready to level up.
The Coach Journal: The coach journal is a new tool this year, inspired by our work with BELONG Partners. The journal gives space for coaches to reflect on their work, with prompts to help them think through successes and challenges. The journal also contains resources for relationship building skills and tips for keeping readers focused and on task. We’ll be collecting feedback about this new coaching tool throughout the year.
We’re grateful to our donors and program partners who ensure that our coaches have access to up to date and user-friendly materials. Every school year is a new adventure, and we’re excited to get this one underway!