How might we encourage a love of reading and writing in first and second grade learners?
The Spring 2018 session of Open Book Adventures (OBA) lit the torch for a beloved theme – the Olympics! Inspired by the accomplishments and community of the 2018 Winter Olympics, the OBA planning team iterated on the feedback from high school student Adventure Guides, OBA participants, and parents to build a highly functioning and truly student-led Open Book Adventures session. For six weeks, first and second grade little buddies engaged with their high school Adventure Guide mentors and spent time reading, writing in their activity books, eating healthy snacks, and playing fun Olympic-themed games.
During the session, Adventure Guides and buddies were split into three teams, each group representing a different color. For each book a buddy read during OBA or at home during the week, they could put a pebble into their team’s jar to compete for the most books read during the six weeks. By the end of OBA, the three jars were filled to the brim! Buddies were clearly eager to represent their team well.
The OBA planning team also responded to parent feedback asking for more communication about each day’s activities by implementing a take-home sheet outlining the favorite activities of the day and offering parents questions to guide conversations with their learner. Parents could now ask, “What book character did you dress up as today?” rather than the general “How was Open Book Adventures?”
Outcomes:
There was an average of 16.8% improvement in minute reading scores of participants from week 1 to week 6.
From Parents:
“My kiddo is a great reader but didn't just want to sit and read to himself. Right after OBA started he began wanting to read at night to himself after we read stories to him. It was also amazing to see him doing workbook work because he normally hates that!”
“My daughter and I both love this program and how beautifully the older students interact with the younger ones.”
From OBA Guides:
In a comparison of pre and post surveys of guides, students self-reported growth in the following areas: acting with empathy, problem solving, and working with young children.
“Participating in OBA was a great opportunity to enhance my ability to work with kids and make them feel special and important. It was a test of patience, but it was well worth it to build a connection and impact a life.”
“I just further cemented my belief that all children deserve to have fun and learn at the same time.”
“I think the most challenging thing was getting my buddy to have the confidence to say what he really wanted to do or say but by the end we got there.”
