A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Activity Sheet D: How Community Members Can Improve Children's Reading Achievement

Look at the following sample list of commitments that community members can make to form a strong Compact for Reading. Rank in order of importance each of the following commitments that you want to add to your Compact for Reading. You may add new commitments to this sample list as desired.

Student Learning	Communication	Capacity Building
Keep informed about the literacy standards and the performance of your local school.	Call the school and attend open houses to find out more about the school's reading standards.	Businesses and other community organizations may donate age-appropriate books, photocopying services, or other resources the school needs in its efforts to meet high standards.
Volunteer to tutor students who need help with reading. Read with each student at least 30 minutes once a week.	Build a community network of concerned adults--community leaders, journalists, writers, librarians, cultural professionals, college and university staff, and others--to discuss and publicize local literacy issues.	Organize workshops for tutors on effective tutoring methods.
Open other facilities where students can go after school to read with someone or do their homework.	Participate in ongoing communication with the school staff about how volunteer tutors can meet students' learning needs. Discuss often with school staff how volunteer tutors can meet students' learning needs.	Colleges and universities may offer workshops for teachers on new, research-validated methods for teaching literacy skills.
Create a community "culture" and broad-based support to highlight the need to improve students' reading skills and abilities.	Encourage community leaders to serve as spokespeople for areas where they can make a difference in helping schools and families improve reading outcomes.	Train whole organizations in ways to improve student learning in reading, such as high-quality tutoring or employee parent training.

[Activity Sheet 2C] [Step 3: Put Your Compact For Reading To Work]