Reading Buddies

Once a week I go and volunteer at the WVSA School for Arts In Learning (SAIL) as a "Reading Buddy". The school is small and focuses on creative learning techniques. A quote from their website explains:

"SAIL works to address the needs of students with learning differences by providing creative learning environments. We have developed a specialized curriculum using the arts to help children learn in ways that match their learning styles, paying special attention to individual learning styles and specific need."

Their Reading Buddy program pairs each student in the lower grades (K-3, I believe) with a volunteer who reads with them for an hour once a week. I was asssigned to a kindergartener named Monae and spend my lunch hour on Thursdays reading to her or helping her read a book of her choice. She is adorable and it is definitely a bright spot in my week.

Every time I go, I look longingly into the classroom and wish that I could instantaneously become a teacher. It has been reinforcing my desire to get out of the political/corporate world and into something I am more passionate about. The idea of being able to move around and not sit in a dingy gray cubicle all day is also appealing. I really need to figure out how to get started on a career change without having to immediately go back to graduate school. My financial situation and the unstable job climate, however, are certainly big negatives to switching jobs or even wasting money on applying to schools. Anyway, in the meantime, I spend as much time volunteering with kids as possible.

Today, I decided that I wanted to bring a new book to read with Monae. The past few weeks she has been consistently bringing me the same two books to read: The Mixed-Up Chameleon and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. As cute and colorful as both of those books are... I was getting just a little tired of them. I went to Border's and was immediately overwhelmed by their Children's Books Section. It was daunting... I never knew that many kids' books existed! After nearly spending half an hour perusing the shelves, I had a stack of books in my arms but no idea which to choose. Everything looked good, but nothing was striking me quite right. Finally, I walked by a display shelf and saw the book I knew I wanted (of course, it was a good $10 more expensive than all the others). Zen Shorts by Jon Muth (a picture of the cover is to the right). The illustrations really caught my eye and when I flipped through the book I was sold! The panda, named Stillwater, meets two young kids and over a period of days tells each of them a story that teaches some sort of basic life lesson. It is also a book that I can see staying with her for a year or two because it is more complex than some of the other kiddie books I looked at.

I was really excited to get to SAIL today to give Monae the book and was crestfallen when the director of the program told me that she was out sick. It was okay though, I got to read to two other kids whose Reading Buddies weren't able to make it and they really enjoyed the book, so I think Monae will too when I give it to her next week!