Volunteer State Readers Program
Loretto High School
Loretto, Tennessee

Reading Role Models
The Volunteer State Readers Program was developed by Loretto High School student Lucas Hunt. It is based on a State book award program—the Volunteer State Book Award—coordinated by a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, in conjunction with the Tennessee Association of School Librarians. In that program, 20 books are nominated for the Volunteer State Book Award each year at the primary, middle, and high school levels. The nominated books are read by the librarian or interested teachers to elementary school students, who then vote for the winner. Out of Lawrence County’s three high schools, only Loretto High (600 students) has the volunteer reading program, where high school students go to the elementary schools and read the books in the classrooms.

The Volunteer State Readers Program started as a means to encourage younger children to read, as well as to enable high school students to serve as role models for younger children. Its mission is to expose children to quality children’s literature; its goal is to increase elementary students’ reading awareness and enthusiasm while encouraging teenagers to be good role models.

In the county, school libraries receive limited funding, and there isn’t a lot of enthusiasm for reading. Little money is available for special speakers and programs. Many children only see high school students as athletes, not as academic role models, since sports are big in the local schools. Other than sports, few afterschool programs exist for the rural county’s 7,000 students. (Approximately 80 percent of students graduate from high school and close to 50 percent go on to college—but less than 10 percent of those graduate.) Loretto High School students from the Volunteer State Readers Program are planting the seed to grow future readers while discovering the rewards of mentoring and community service.

Books, Moon Pies, and More
Once a week, Loretto High School students go to kindergarten through 2nd grade classrooms and read one of the 20 books nominated for the Volunteer State Book Award. After the children have heard all 20 books, they vote for their favorite. At the end of each year, the 20 books, which were purchased through donations, are given to the high school library to become part of a special children’s section.

The program starts each November and continues until all 20 nominated books are read at local elementary schools to kindergarten through 2nd grade classes whose teachers chose to participate. Approximately 300 elementary students and 10 to 20 high school students participate each year. The book-reading activity takes place during the school day.

The high school librarian oversees the program. The librarian and high school student in charge of the project create a schedule detailing which student reads to which teacher’s class on which Friday. Before reading in the classrooms, the high school students must read their children’s books to the high school librarian or the high school drama teacher so one of them can critique their presentations and reading skills. The volunteer readers also receive input from the elementary teachers concerning ways to deal with special needs students. Then, after picking the children’s book they wish to read, student-volunteers prepare the presentation by practicing it for high school teachers and other students.

When the Friday reading session takes place, high school readers sometimes dress as book characters or take the children surprises related to their stories. For instance, one of the most popular books is Jimmy Zangwow’s Out-of-This-World Moon Pie Adventure by Tony DiTerlizzi. The reader for this book dressed as Jimmy Zangwow and read the book in first person. He gave the students Moon Pies that he said Mr. Moon sent them! During their time with the children, high school students tell the younger children about themselves—including talking about their love of reading and their other hobbies and interests. By doing this, they further serve as role models.

Each Friday after the reading session, the volunteer readers meet to reflect on experiences they have had with the elementary students. Other high school students, such as those in the childhood development class, now also use the nominated books to read to children. Plus, Loretto students have read to some area community clubs to increase awareness of the need to read to younger children.

Eager to Read
High school students realize that they have become leaders when they read to their very first classroom. From that initial session, the children anticipate the teenagers’ arriving each Friday, and when they do, the kids express their love and excitement for their new high school friends and the books and stories they share. Loretto students can’t help but see how much they mean to the children and they become very enthusiastic about being role models. From the very beginning of the school year, the high school students and the elementary children can’t wait for their Friday special reading times!

Elementary children and high school students both benefit so much from this program. The high school students learn how to interact with young children and see how important they are as role models. The elementary children realize how cool reading is when a high school student actually sits down and reads to them. Later when the children recognize the high school students out in the community, they are thrilled to see them. (That sentiment goes both ways.) The elementary children also take the program seriously because at the end of the year’s program they have a voice and get to vote on the book that they liked best.

Loretto High School volunteer readers know their program works because every year there are more and more high school students who want to volunteer to read to the younger kids. And, each year the elementary teachers give them very positive feedback. Plus, the program and its impact have been featured in the local newspaper.

Finally, Lucas Hunt presented Loretto High’s Volunteer State Readers Program at the 2004 Tennessee Association of School Librarians conference in November, and other librarians in the state seemed excited about trying to get this program started in their high schools.

What Works

• First, you need youth who are willing to volunteer to read to younger children.
• Then, high school students need to obtain the cooperation of the high school administration and teachers, a school librarian, and the elementary teachers. The high school and elementary school principals must give approval for the program to be conducted.
• The elementary teachers need to be notified that you want to come to their classrooms, and you need to have the consent of the teachers.
• It helps if you have an adult to supervise everything and to make sure everything is going smoothly.
• You need enough children’s books so that each high school student volunteer can have one to read.
• Any number of children’s books could be selected. They would not have to be books nominated for an award.
• Using books that were published during the last couple of years increases the likelihood that the majority of the elementary students have not been exposed to the books.
• Remember that volunteers also can read at other community sites, such as civic clubs and assisted-living homes.

Spread the Word
The Volunteer State Readers Program would be very easy to duplicate if there were high school students willing to participate. At Loretto High, the program occurs on Fridays during the school year. It usually begins in November and ends in April. However, the frequency, dates, and times could be arranged to fit any high school and elementary school schedules.

Funding
The program requires money to purchase the books that are read each year. Loretto High students are usually able to find some group, like the Lioness Club, to donate the money, or the books are purchased through memorial donations. And, don’t forget that books checked out from a local library could be read to children if new books aren’t available!