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Implementation Guide Everything you need to set up and facilitate a successful mentoring program
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3 R.E.A.L. Program Overview ................................................. 3 4 R.E.A.L. Components ....................................................................... 4 6 How to Implement .............................................................................. 6 8 R.E.A.L. Forms and Letters ............................................ 8 School Letters • Letter to Teachers and Facilitators ............................................................. 9 • Letter to Families .................................................................................................... 10 Mentor Letters and Forms • Mentor Invitation and Application ......................................................... 12 • Mentor Information, Schedule, and Reading List .................... 14 Mentoring Students to Read. Excel. Achieve. Lead.
Visit real.scholastic.com to download a digital-only Mentor Success Guide, as well as digital copies of the Implementation Guide and Community Recruiting Guide. Plus, you'll nd editable letter templates along with additional recruiting tools.
Photos ©: cover: FatCamera/Getty Images; 7: SDI Productions/Getty Images. Excepting those parts intended for classroom use, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Scholastic Inc. grants teachers who have purchased this product permission to reproduce from this book those pages intended for use in their classrooms. Notice of copyright must appear on all copies of copyrighted materials. Copyright © 2022 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. Printed in the U.S.A. ISBN 978-1-338-86718-3 • SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
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2 SCHOLASTIC R.E.A.L.
Research shows that reading aloud to a child is the single most important thing a caring adult can do to nurture a child's reading and learning skills. Mentors—community members who visit schools to read aloud and discuss books—help inspire children to discover the joy of reading and develop the literacy skills, while reducing the number of kids who are disconnected from school. Program Overview A Simple Model 1. Recruit
District and school leaders recruit volunteers within the community to be literacy champions for each class of students within preK–grade 8. • Use the letters and forms provided to make recruitment and communication simple. Head to real.scholastic.com to download additional support in the Community Recruitment Guide . 2. Read Students gain new models for thinking more deeply as they listen to mentors read aloud and participate in class conversations about issues from the book. • Mentors read and discuss high-interest, grade-appropriate books during one-hour visits. The r ead-aloud guidance and easy-to- use discussion prompts provided in the Mentor Guides will get conversation owing . 3. Inspire In the words of a R.E.A.L. Mentor, “I was amazed to see that in one hour a month, I could have such a positive impact on a child.” Students are excited by the mentor visits, and everyone is enriched—students, mentors, and the community. • All your students receive their own copy of each book to build their home libraries. Activities in the Student Guides elicit thinking and writing, while Family Guides support at-home literacy involvement .
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Components That Work
The R.E.A.L. titles are curated to provide an enjoyable listening experience and spark meaningful discussion between mentors and students. In the books, students will encounter a diversity of topics, characters, settings, experiences, authors, illustrators, and genres. The books are a rich opportunity to make real-life connections, develop self-awareness, and build background knowledge. Books Diversity.
Race and culture. Physical disability and mental health. Immigration, friendship, space, plants, animals, ghosts, food, loss, achievement, and much more.
Interdisciplinary. Literacy, history, science, math, social- emotional skills, and creativity come together with these books and guides.
Values and Role Models. Both ction and non ction books express the importance of social-emotional skills such as persistence, respect, teamwork, patience, courage, and relationship-building. Students will carry these values o the page and into their everyday lives.
Titles are subject to change.
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Mentor Guides Mentor Guides are easy to use and designed for mentors who are not educators. Scripted Approaches. Mentors begin with tips for previewing each book with students and building background knowledge. Discussion. Read-aloud guidance, such as “pause points” with open-ended questions, drives conversation both during and after the read-aloud.
Student Guides Student Guides provide practical ways to comprehend, analyze, and connect to the books. Standards Connections. Students will look for evidence, read for meaning, and respond to the ideas in the book through speaking and writing. Real Life. Engaging activities help readers connect each book to their own lives and to the world.
Age-appropriate approach
Family Guides Family Guides provide easy, actionable ways to respond to books and build literacy skills at home. Joyful Activities. Families will enjoy crafts, hands-on play or construction, games, and much more. Thought-Provoking Discussions. Books act as the jumping-o point for crucial conversations about social-emotional skills as well as understanding our world.
All guides are available at real.scholastic.com
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How to Implement
Recruit Mentors Make Your Recruitment Plan • Identify a district and/or school mentorship team of two to ve sta ers. Designate one person to coordinate the recruitment. • Have the mentorship team make a list of possible mentors. Advise them to start with people they know. TIP The most reliable pool of potential volunteers may come from school families. • Make an outreach list of PTAs, unions, Chambers of Commerce, places of worship, colleges, universities, and local businesses. Launch Your Outreach • Send the mentor invitation emails. See page 12 and go online for editable versions of additional letters. Follow up with phone calls as needed. • Spread the word on social media, such as LinkedIn and Facebook community groups. • Send the mentor application on page 13. Follow district requirements for security clearance measures.
Communicate
Spread the Word • Identify a district and/or school communications team to spread the word about the program. • Build buzz with a media blitz, if you'd like! Target local radio and television stations. Prep for the Program • Consult your school calendar to set dates for mentor visits. Inform the School Community • Post information on the district website. • Introduce the program to school administrators, teachers, and facilitators (see page 9). • Send selected mentors the welcome letters and schedule (see pages 14–15), as well as the Mentor Success Guide at real.scholastic.com . • Inform families (see letter on page 10). • Provide ongoing communication with committed mentors and teachers.
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Celebrate!
Implement Distribute the Resources • If you haven't already, give mentors a schedule of reading dates (see template on page 15). Share the Mentor Success Guide available at real.scholastic.com . • Distribute the Scholastic R.E.A.L. book and Mentor Guide for the rst month to the mentors. TIP Teachers or the program coordinator can give the next book and guide to the mentor at the end of each visit. You may wish to wait a few months to see that mentors are following through on their commitment before you give them more than one book and guide at a time. • Guides are also available online to allow for virtual read- aloud visits as needed, once books have been distributed. Keep in Touch With Mentors • Principals or mentor coordinators can implement a monthly communication plan, thanking mentors for participating and reminding them of upcoming dates. Students can create handwritten thank-you cards to engage mentors. See real.scholastic.com for templates. • If possible, provide a hospitality room and/or Facebook group where mentors from di erent classrooms can share experiences after their visits.
Plan a Party! • Invite mentors, partner teachers, participating students and their families—anyone involved in implementing the program to celebrate the program's success! • Consider inviting the media or anyone that may be helpful in next year's implementation. Party Ideas • Balloons, banners, and music • Short speeches by a few mentors, teachers, students, or administrators • Recognition items for the mentors, students and their families, teachers, administrators, coordinators, and sponsors TIP For certi cates and recognition items, visit real.scholastic.com .
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SCHOOL LETTERS Letter to Teachers and Facilitators ..................................................................................................... 9 Letter to Families .................................................................................................................................................... 10 MENTOR LETTERS AND FORMS Mentor Invitation and Application ................................................................................................ 12 Mentor Information, Schedule, and Reading List ...................................................... 14 The forms and letters in this section can be reproduced or customized to re ect your implementation of the Scholastic R.E.A.L. program. Note that you can tailor the pages and combine them in any way that suits your requirements. On real.scholastic.com and in the Community Recruiting Guide , you'll nd additional personalized letters. Editable versions of all R.E.A.L. letter templates are available online along with additional recruiting tools. Forms and Letters
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Scholastic R.E.A.L. is coming to our school !
Dear Teachers and Facilitators, Our school district is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting mentorship program called Scholastic R.E.A.L.—Read. Excel. Achieve. Lead. This program is designed to deepen literacy and to instill a love of reading in our students through mentors who share an hour of their time once a month. By welcoming mentors into your classroom, you'll support your goals of increasing reading excitement, strengthening speaking and listening skills, while building community connections at our school. How the R.E.A.L. Program Works . • District and school leaders recruit volunteers within our community as reading mentors to students in grades preK–8. The program coordinator will assign a mentor to your class. • Mentors read and discuss a di erent book for an hour during each of the class visits (about once a month) using book-speci c mentor guides. Each guide recommends sections for class reading and open-ended questions engaging book discussions. • Students receive their own copies of the books to take home and share with their families. Encourage students to complete the activities in the Student Guide at home or in class. • Families use the Family Guides to respond to books with discussion and activities, building literacy skills at home. While most mentors are not educators, they bring important life experiences to share with our students. Your role is to support the mentors in your class by being there to assist them. Thank you, in advance, for the important role you will play in making this program successful in our school.
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Scholastic R.E.A.L. is coming to our school!
Dear Family, Our school district is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting mentorship program called Scholastic R.E.A.L.—Read. Excel. Achieve. Lead. This program is designed to deepen literacy and to instill a love of reading in our students through mentors, who will share an hour of their time once a month. After mentors build reading excitement at school, continue the literacy conversations at home with fun discussions and hands-on family activities that will help build your child's con dence and motivation to read. Reading at home is part of the home-school learning connection that supports your child's academic success. How the R.E.A.L. Program Works • Volunteers within our community are recruited to mentor our students, including your child. • Mentors read and discuss a di erent book for an hour during each of the class visits. • Children receive their own copies of the books to take home. Please encourage your child to share the books with you and their brothers, sisters, cousins, and grandparents. In addition, students will receive a Student Guide and Family Guide for each book. These guides provide questions to support the reading of the book and include special reading and writing activities to do as a family. Read the books with your child and complete the activities together. Investing time in shared literacy activities will boost your child’s reading and critical- thinking skills. By the way, if you or someone you know would be interested in becoming a mentor, please let us know!
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¡Scholastic R.E.A.L. llega a nuestra escuela!
Estimadas Familias: Nuestro distrito escolar se complace en anunciar el lanzamiento de un nuevo y emocionante programa de mentores, Scholastic R.E.A.L. , por sus siglas en inglés Read. Excel. Achieve. Lead. (Leer. Sobresalir. Triunfar. Guiar.) Este programa está diseñado para fomentar la lectoescritura y desarrollar el amor por la lectura en nuestros estudiantes, con el apoyo de mentores que compartirán una hora de su tiempo una vez al mes. Luego de que los mentores hayan despertado el entusiasmo por la lectura en la escuela, continúen las conversaciones sobre lectoescritura en casa con charlas entretenidas y actividades prácticas para realizar en familia que ayudarán al desarrollo de la con anza y la motivación para leer de su niño o niña. La lectura en casa es parte de la conexión de aprendizaje entre el hogar y la escuela que apoya el éxito académico de su niño o niña. Cómo funciona el programa R.E.A.L. • Se invitan personas voluntarias de la comunidad para ayudar a los/las estudiantes, incluido su niño o niña. • Los mentores leen y comentan un libro diferente en cada una de las visitas a clase. • Los/Las estudiantes reciben un ejemplar de los libros para llevar a casa. Anímenlos a compartir los libros con ustedes, sus hermanos/as, primos/as o abuelos/as. Además, los/las estudaintes recibirán una Guía para el estudiante y una Guía para la familia con cada libro. Las guías contienen preguntas para reforzar la lectura del libro y actividades de lectura y escritura especiales para hacer en familia. Lean los libros con su niño o niña y completen las actividades juntos. Dedicarle tiempo a las actividades compartidas de lectoescritura ayudará a desarrollar las destrezas de lectura y pensamiento crítico de su niño o niña. Si alguno/a de ustedes desea participar en el programa como mentor o conoce a alguien interesado, por favor, póngase en contacto con nosotros.
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Become a R.E.A.L. Mentor! Our school district is pleased to announce the launch of an exciting mentorship program called Scholastic R.E.A.L.—Read. Excel. Achieve. Lead. This program is designed to deepen literacy and to instill a love of reading in our students through mentors who share an hour of their time per visit. By reading aloud and talking with students, people like you help build reading excitement and community connections in our schools! As a R.E.A.L. mentor, you will be given everything you need for impactful read-alouds. On R.E.A.L. Reading Days, you'll have your own group that you visit—and on each visit, you'll read and discuss one book, which will be provided to you in advance. You'll follow a Mentor Guide with speci c instructions on what to read and questions to ask to engage students. You will also receive a schedule of your reading dates and a Mentor Success Guide with useful tips and information from other R.E.A.L. mentors.
Program start date: Program end date: Number of visits:
Your participation will have a genuine and positive e ect on our students’ lives. Scholastic R.E.A.L. is based on a simple idea: Every child needs a mentor. If you can devote one hour or more to this e ort and to our students, please ll out the attached mentor application and return it to us. Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you very soon and hope to see you in class! Please feel free to contact me at the email address and phone number below if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
My phone number: My email address:
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R.E.A.L. Mentor Application Form
Name:
(First)
(M.I.)
(Last)
Home Phone: (
)
Cell Phone: (
)
Mailing Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Name of Employer:
Title:
Occupation:
Employer Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Work Phone: (
)
Email Address:
Which grade level (preK–8) do you prefer—if any?
Which school?
PERSONAL INTERESTS:
Hobbies:
Favorite book(s):
Do you have children?
If yes, how many?
Ages?
Languages spoken other than English:
Please EMAIL this form to:
Or FAX this form to:
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Welcome to R.E.A.L.
Dear Mentor, We want to thank you for your willingness to participate in our district’s R.E.A.L. Mentor Program . We know that our students will be thrilled to meet you and will soon see you as a R.E.A.L. role model. Mentors like yourself help students shape their understanding about how books can touch every one of our lives. Here’s a brief summary of the R.E.A.L. Mentor Program: • You will have a “class of your own.” Our students will get to know you—and you them. They will look forward to each of your visits, and we are sure you will feel the same way about seeing them. The classroom teacher will remain in the class during your session and help you in any way. The Mentor Guides provide instructions for the read-alouds and the book discussions. • You will have scheduled reading “dates” with your class. We are attaching the schedule for your visits. It is critical to the success of the program that the students and we can count on you to make your dates. Your class will not want a substitute for you—we can guarantee that! • You will read a new book during each visit. These books have been carefully selected, providing high-interest texts that align with the age of your class. There is a mix of ction and non ction titles. The children will be given their own copies of the books to take home. I have attached a Mentor Success Guide, as well as your schedule and reading list. All our school information and contacts are listed on these materials. The Mentor Success Guide and all book guides are also available at real.scholastic.com. Please respond to this letter to con rm your participation. Thank you again. We look forward to your becoming part of our school family!
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Your R.E.A.L. Reading Schedule
Mentor’s Name:
Where to Go
Principal’s Name:
Name of School:
Address:
Phone Number of School:
Teacher’s Name (your classroom):
Room Number:
Floor:
Grade:
Your Schedule
Session Number
Book Title
Reading Date
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This program has been a big success for us. Our students get extra attention from positive role models. On top of that, the mentors have developed relationships with the schools that have helped the district in ways we had not even imagined.
—School District Superintendent
FOR MORE INFORMATION SCHOLASTIC.COM/REAL
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