How might we improve literacy skills in underserved K-3rd graders?
Open Book Adventures is One Stone’s free tutoring and mentoring program for underserved kindergarteners through third grade students. Once a week for six weeks, the K - 3rd grade “Buddies” are paired with a One Stone “Adventure Guides” for an hour and a half of reading, writing, games and connection. This is the sixth iteration of the program, and the planning team continues to learn from each session.
The theme of this session was Open Book Adventures: Around the World, to inspire a love of reading and writing by exploring different cultures. The Buddies and One Stone Adventure Guides “traveled” to Brazil, Italy, Kenya, India, China, and Australia. They read stories, ate, learned new words, and played games that taught them about the place they were “visiting”, as well as practiced their literacy skills.
The session culminated in a celebration of their accomplishments. Each student received a chapter book and certificate of awesomeness for completing the program. Each One Stone Adventure Guide shared a highlight they had with their buddy and enjoyed snacks for around the world.
Outcomes
This was One Stone’s highest attended Open Book Adventures session. With an attendance rate of 97%, students benefitted from continuity and more practice of their reading and writing. All that hard work paid off with an average 27% increase in reading proficiency from week 1 to week 6.
