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Reading Soul Mates

“Children receiving one-on-one tutoring set up by community groups have shown greater progress than children without that support." - Howard Lee, N.C. School Board Chairman, 2006 Reading Soul Mates

Reading Soul Mates, is a preventive program developed by Gaston Literacy Council, Inc. in partnership with the Gaston County School System.

The program produces extraordinary results:  of the 755 second graders served by Reading Soul Mates since 1999, 97% have demonstrated gains in reading level, 59% have achieved grade level reading, and 22% have exceeded their grade level for reading.

RSM is designed to help children develop a positive attitude toward reading, achieve success in school, and build self-confidence.  It also fosters children’s creative thinking and problem solving skills, nurtures a love of books, and aids in the development of comprehension skills.  Reading activities help children relate the story to their own lives, ensuring success by linking prior knowledge to what they have read.  

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Reading Buddies Minimize

 
 

Volunteers Minimize

Through Reading Soul Mates (RSM), second grade students, at-risk of failing, 
are matched with supportive role models who tutor, set expectations, and provide motivation and guidance.  


Reading Soul Mates provides 
students with extra, targeted tutoring 
that improves their reading abilities so they can read at grade level with their classmates.  

 
All RSM tutors are Gaston Literacy Council volunteers who complete a pre-service training that includes instruction in using the Scholastic Guided Reading curriculum; understanding the characteristics of children to be tutored; and an overview of school rules, boundaries, and etiquette. 

Contact us about volunteer training and opportunities

 
 

Curriculum Minimize

The curriculum includes a variety of language skill-building activities in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.  Students are taught to focus on meaning and to use problem-solving strategies to figure out words, deal with difficult sentence structure, and understand concepts they have never encountered in print.  Picture books also provide students with opportunities to expand their vocabulary, to interpret stories, and to recognize how illustrations contribute to the story.  

 The curriculum was approved for use in Gaston County Schools by the Director of Elementary Education, Reading Specialist, Curriculum Specialist, and the State ABC Team at Rhyne Elementary School.  School administration determines student eligibility for participation by school-administered Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) scores.
 

Gaston Literacy Council, Inc.
704.868.4815

116 South Marietta Street
Gastonia, NC  28052
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