Reading Buddies thanked for sharing with students

DAVE BENJAMIN Joan Woods, one of the volunteers in the Reading Buddies program, writes a personal message to a first-grader at the Ella G. Clarke School, Lakewood, during a breakfast at which the volunteers were thanked for their participation in a reading program at the school this year. LAKEWOOD - As the 2007-08 school year becomes a memory, youngsters who just completed first grade at the Ella G. Clarke School are looking back at their reading experiences with smiles on their faces.

Working with teachers, specialists and paraprofessionals, members of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Reading Buddies visited the school each week during the year to make reading exciting for about 80 children. The youngsters were divided into small groups.

The Reading Buddies are residents of the Four Seasons at Metedeconk Lakes adult community in Jackson. They read stories to the children and engaged them in thought-provoking question-andanswer sessions.

Topics of discussion at different points during the year included the importance of having a good breakfast, dressing properly for the weather, feelings and self-esteem.

DAVE BENJAMIN First-graders at the Ella G. Clarke School, Lakewood, select books that were gifts from the Reading Buddies, a group of volunteers from the Four Seasons adult community in Jackson who worked with 80 children at the school during the 2007-08 school year. The program concluded last week with the Reading Buddies' final visit to the school.

Lakewood Assistant Superintendent William Anderson told the volunteers, "I just want to thank you on behalf of the Board of Education. You know that Emily Dickinson said, 'There is no frigate like a book that can take us lands away.' I want to thank you for sharing the love of reading with each and every one of our children, because it's something that will so open their world and broaden their horizons. Thank you for giving so much to us. We really appreciate it."

The program began in Ocean County when a group of women from the Brandeis University National Women's Club, Harmony Chapter, which meets at the Four Seasons clubhouse, discovered a need.

"We go into the classroom and read to the children," said Micki Benjamin, one of the Reading Buddies. "Sometimes children are more apt to raise their hand and become involved in a small group setting compared to a large classroom filled with children. They have more confidence to share."

Benjamin worked for two years in a similar program at the Park Avenue Elementary School in Freehold Borough, Monmouth County.

Gail White, the school district's supervisor for humanities, told the Reading Buddies, "It was wonderful having you here and a special thanks to Ida Jimenez, who was able to work at organizing all of this."

Although funding for the program came from a $6,000 New Jersey state grant, White helped to expedite the purchase orders for the books that were used in the program, which the Reading Buddies purchased at Scholastic Books, Monroe Township, and at the Barnes & Noble in Howell.

The Reading Buddies organized the program, created a library system for all of the books, produced educational materials and worked with the children.

Hope Lewis, Ruth Paskin, Donna Penziner, Elissa Samarro, Eileen Markle, Steffi Isaac, Linda Ballan, Joanne Devory, Lisa Fredericks, Sheryl Kramer, Harriet Lehrman, Linda Meyers, Sandy Tilis, Sharon Weiss, Joan Woods, Carol Lamberto, Lucy Isaacson and Micki Benjamin all participated in the program.

First-grade teacher Jody Vermezio said her pupils loved having the Reading Buddies come to class. She said the program helped to strengthen the children's reading skills and motivated them to learn.

First grade teacher Susan Scribner said, "I had six years on the school board in another district and I have never seen a program as effective as this one. Over the years we have had different programs to encourage our students to read. We've had community members come in. We've had [other] reading buddies. This has probably been the most effective [program] to stimulate the interest in literature that I have seen in a long time. It was very exciting to be a participant."

Paraprofessional Cindy Paolicelli said the children always looked forward to the visits from the Reading Buddies.

"The buddies will read a book and bring in different prompts and things for the children to read," she said. "It's fantastic. The children are eager when the buddies come. They read and talk about all different types of subjects."

Reading Buddy Sheryl Kramer said it was a wonderful experience and said she is looking forward to doing it again next year.

The Clarke school students and teachers held a thank-you breakfast on June 9 to honor their Reading Buddies. Benjamin told the children that the volunteers loved coming to read to them.

"We walked in to see beautiful classrooms, with real caring from your teachers and from you," she said. "We walked into the classes and saw smiles from ear to ear that made us feel so good and we loved coming to read to all of you."

First-grader Carlos Lopez, who enjoyed a bagel at the breakfast, said he wants to become a dentist who helps people with their teeth. Carlos said reading will help him learn how to do that.

The children had a chance to select books to take home and read on their own or with a parent.

Teacher Erica Wulfekotte praised the program.

"The children looked forward to the buddies coming every week," she said. "They chose books that were appropriate and had a high level of interest. There were activities that coordinated with the reading, and most of all, the children loved it."

Reading Buddy Harriet Lehrman said the best part of the program for her was being with the children, getting to know them and sharing everyday experiences.

"It was just thrilling, warm and so good for them and me, too," she said.

Jovan Ross, a pupil in Karen Hetzel's class, said, "My favorite book is 'Enemy Pie,' " which the youngster called "Army Pie." The book deals with the issue of bullying.

Other books that were read during the school year included "Brand New Kid" by newswoman Katie Couric, which dealt with issues of self-esteem, and "Today I Feel Silly" by actress Jamie Lee Curtis.