Help America Read: A Handbook for Volunteers

If you have the challenging task of coordinating literacy volunteers, you want the best information available on building a high-quality program along with practical suggestions on effective training. This outstanding resource from Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas offers both. It provides everything you need to know to run a successful program, no matter who the volunteers are or where they are working.

Research has shown that to run an effective volunteer program, the coordinator must provide strong leadership, solid training, and careful monitoring. Pinnell and Fountas help you achieve these goals, offering: specific training in ten ways to help children read and write; practical advice on recruiting, orienting, organizing, supervising, and advising volunteers; an extended training program, detailing twelve training sessions; a single session training programfor coordinators who must provide training quickly; thirty-nine transparencies, sample letters to parents, and recognition certificates; and specific instructions on how volunteers can connect with children’s families.

Well-planned volunteer service will greatly enhance our efforts to make literacy a reality for all children. And the leader’s contribution is of immeasurable value. This guide will help you make that experience worthwhile for everyone involvedthe children served as well as those who serve them.