In Their Own Words

Many students in Wayzata enter kindergarten with the foundational literacy skills needed to be successful with literacy learning. However, some of our students enter kindergarten with limited exposure to print and few prior literacy experiences. Students who enter kindergarten with limited literacy experiences are at a disadvantage compared to their peers and need multiple and varied literacy experiences in order to meet the demands of the classroom curriculum. Storytime Friends is one way for students to gain literacy knowledge in a way that is developmentally appropriate and enjoyable.

Kindergarten students will read high quality, engaging literature with a parent volunteer once a week. The goals of the project are to:

a. Expose students to high quality literature.

b. Improve foundational literacy skills.

c. Foster community involvement.

Students will have books read to them during Storytime Friends. The adult volunteer will create a welcoming environment that will mimic parent/child interactions during book reading. The adult volunteer will read the story to the children one or more times and talk about the words and pictures to engage the children. Once the book has been read, the children will get a copy to put in their classroom book box. They can look at the book during independent reading time in the classroom.

Status: funded in May 2023, procured in Fall 2023. Fully in use for SY 2023-2024.