Born to Read
Reading to Preschoolers
Guidelines for Volunteer Readersback
Thank you for participating in the Born to Read program, and helping to engage children in the power and pleasure of reading.
- Please always arrive on time for your reading session. If for some reason you cannot keep your appointment, please notify the provider as soon as possible. Also notify the provider about any scheduled vacations or other absences you are planning.
- Please plan to spend between 20-45 minutes with the children.
- Please come prepared with books you have selected, read through, and rehearsed. You will be provided with an initial set of four books to read aloud, but you will also need to find good children's books on your own. In most towns, the best source of high-quality books is the local library. Many of the books on the book list can be found at the library. Some readers have even borrowed books for the child care center or home from the library, left them at the child care, and exchanged them for new books on return visits.
- When reading, be sure to sit where all children can see the book. Pause often to show pictures, ask the children questions, and respond to their questions or comments.
- Adjust the text to the ages and staying power of the children; sometimes simply talking about the pictures may be all they want to do.
- Preschoolers have limited attention spans. Feel free to vary the reading session by singing songs, doing finger plays, playing games, showing the children interesting objects, or telling stories from your own life. (Young children find this type of storytelling fascinating.)
- Actively engaging the children in a follow-up activity can help reinforce the connection between the book and their real-life experiences.
- Talk with the provider about how the reading sessions are going, and make changes as they seem necessary to both you and the provider.
- Complete the brief reporting form and return to the office according to the agreed-upon schedule. Any information you can give us about interaction with the children is information we can use in our program evaluation and fundraising efforts.
- Most of all, please stay flexible and have fun! When young children see adults enjoying books and stories, they will be eager to join in. We are certain that reading together will be an enriching experience for all involved.
We are always available for any questions, concerns, comments, suggestions, and feedback that you may have about the Born to Read program.
Born to Read
Maine Humanities Council
674 Brighton Avenue, Portland, ME 04102
Phone: (207) 773-5051
Fax: (207) 773-2416
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