Book Buddies, Charlottesville City Schools

Book Buddies is a one-on-one tutorial program that supports reading instruction in the Charlottesville City Schools. This program is a collaboration between the Charlottesville City Schools, the University of Virginia, and the Charlottesville community, to ensure that every child learns to read.

Book Buddies

• Now in its fifteenth year, 85 individuals volunteer in five Charlottesville City elementary schools--Burnley Moran, Clark, Greenbrier, Jackson-Via, and Venable.

• There are separate Book Buddies classrooms, where tutors are supported by a reading specialist who writes the individualized lesson plans, provides the necessary materials, and trains volunteers. Alongside on-the-job training, volunteers are trained in a two-hour group session in September and another building level session mid-year.

What Volunteers Do

• Commit to tutoring one first or second-grade child, who needs extra help to read and write, twice a week for one hour during the school day at a regularly scheduled time from October through May.

• Attend two two-hour training sessions, one in September and one in early February.

• Follow a four-part lesson plan, comprised of reading familiar material, word study, writing, and introduction of new books, prepared by the reading coordinator.

• Complete record keeping lists and provide written and oral comments to the coordinator after the daily lesson to provide direction for writing the next lesson.

• Enjoy reading and sharing knowledge with a student.

• HAVE FUN!!