The Wonder of Reading

Filing Period

Jan 1, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011

Signed

Nov 5, 2012

Return Version

2011v1.2

Gross Receipts

$797,574

Major Activities

Activity 2

The wonder of reading literacy program: the wonder of reading continued our pilot program in three of our partner schools to address the literacy crisis in our state. The wor literacy program put a full-time, credentialed teacher at the school to work in close collaboration with students, families and classroom teachers. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that over time, all of our students are caught up and reading at grade level. The pilot had three performance areas in mind: 1) children must show measurable improvement in academics, 2) parents must be meaningfully engaged, and 3) teachers must be true partners in our work. The wor teacher is assigned to work with 70 of the lowest performing children in the school. She or he uses a variety of tools and reading assessments to diagnose each student's independent reading level and determine exactly what is holding them back. The wor teacher evaluates each student's reading ability, measuring their fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. The wor teacher also analyzes the results of school reading assessments, such as the language arts classroom assessment, and the california standards test (cst). Moreover, the wor teacher communicates closely with each student's classroom teacher and family, considering their valuable insights, observations and student evaluations. This comprehensive and varied assessment provides the wor teacher with a complete picture of each child's reading ability, and allows the wor teacher to create tailored, individualized lessons to address every student's specific challenges. The wor teacher instructs small groups of 8-10 children at a time using creative strategies that are based on the data of student assessments. In other words, our teacher instructs with purpose, using each student's data as a guide. Throughout the year, the wor teacher engages each student in his or her progress toward weekly and year-long literacy goals. The end mark for each student is clear and each child is invested in reaching it. This transparent approach galvanizes the students, and they experience the benefit of setting ambitious goals and working hard to get there. Our data to date shows success - children are advancing and reaching their goals. See the attached listing of specific elements of the wonder of reading literacy program:

Activity 3

Library renovation program: the wonder of reading works with partner schools to design and renovate dilapidated and neglected elementary school libraries, creating a more useful and inviting environment for learning. Schools and their districts assume responsibility for the actual construction which includes asbestos removal, demolition, and major structural changes, while our architect provides a proven library design that is customized to the culture and needs of each school. Our libraries feature carpeted "story steps" for group reading, individual work stations for tutoring and research, and a "cozy corner" for quiet reading. The wonder of reading provides planning and oversight for the renovation, as well as case goods such as shelving, bookcases, and countertops. New bookshelves are installed, along with new cabinetry, furniture, paint, carpet, and blinds. Schools celebrate their library grand opening with a moving community-wide celebration. "across the united states, research has shown that students in schools with good school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized test than their peers in schools without libraries." (u.s. National commission on libraries and information science, "school libraries work!" 2008.) since 1994, the wonder of reading has renovated over 200 libraries in southern california. In 2011, the wonder of reading renovated and provided new books to three new libraries at the following elementary schools: hollingworth, st. Thomas, and state street. Six thousand students were reached at these three libraries, and of those students, 92% were minorities, 67% qualified for free or reduced-price lunches based on family income, and 42% were english learners.

Filer

EIN

95-4484325