Make Way for Pre-K KOREH!
Pre-K KOREH trains volunteers to provide the essential one-on-one attention that enhances reading readiness in pre-school children. Volunteers are matched with children in LAUSD early education facilities, for one hour per week. At our upcoming Pre-K training on February 5th at Temple Judea, volunteers will have the opportunity to become familiar with our Pre-K program and learn some very helpful methods for working with our Pre-K youth.
I was recently able to visit one of our Pre-K volunteers, Paul Nathanson, as he worked with not one, but two classes of pre-school children. As soon as I walked into the classrooms with Paul and heard the enthusiastic yells of "Teacher Paul, Teacher Paul" I knew it was going to be a great experience. The students were very excited to see Paul and I could tell he was just as happy to see them. The highlight of my visit was getting to help Paul read The Boy on the Bus to the students - it put a big smile on my face to see the kids repeat with me and make the animal sounds from the book.
Paul has been kind enough to share a few words about the Pre-K program with us below. I would like to thank Paul for giving me the opportunity to spend a day with him and his students and also for his many years of persistent and enthusiastic work with Pre-K KOREH. Paul, you are an inspiration!
In Paul's own words:
I have been a volunteer with KOREH L.A. for about nine years, the last five in the Pre-K program at Sherwood Head Start in Van Nuys.
Unlike at the elementary level, where you work with a particular child or two on their reading skills, I find it more effective to work and integrate with the class as a whole. Because of their ages and attention spans, the activities at the Pre-K level change every 20 to 30 minutes. I move with the activities - helping with crafts, visiting the activity stations and talking with them, interjecting reinforcement questions (what color is that car? how many bunnies are in this puzzle picture? etc.), giving encouragement, and consoling when necessary.
During the classroom's "reading circle," I usually read a book that the teacher has chosen on the topic of the day or week. The children hear my pronunciation and I encourage them to repeat key words either during or after the reading. If time allows, I ask questions about what was read to see who was listening.
I always bring several books with me, often about familiar characters. Disney and Dr. Seuss are favorite sources. I also have themed books (The Kissing Hand, Time to Say Please, etc.), which the teachers approve of my reading to the class.
During small group time, I go to the library corner, where some children ask me to read from a book that they chose from the class's collection or they pick a story from a book that I brought. I have also had a child pick a book out of the class library and "read" me a story. If the teacher and/or location allow it, you may consider giving stickers to the class after an activity.
I look forward to many more years of "staying young" in the Pre-K KOREH program.
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