Our Story

The Read to Excel is based upon learning from the Even Start Family Literacy Program where children advanced two grade levels in reading in an academic year. One of the main reason children do not know how to read is because they do not read. With the proper guidance and appropriate measures children will become active readers.

Our Purpose

  • To help children to become active readers to be able to participate in their community and the wider society when they become adults.
  • To develop opportunities and support for K-12 and adults learners in communities to increase their reading capacity through hands-on activities and experiences.
  • To combine reading with mini hands-on workshops in various areas of craft/science based on some body of knowledge (for example flower arrangements – botany, jewelry making – geology, etc.).  The core of the workshops will be reading and writing skills on craft mastered.
  • To partner with existing programs to expand participants’ knowledge and skills through reading activities.

Our Team

Our team consists of certified educators from early childhood, elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. The degreed disciplines of the team consist of Early Childhood Education, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Special Education, Psychology, Music, French, Home Economics, and Criminal Justice. Lessons and activities for Read to Excel will be developed and taught by experienced educators. Many of the educators have either designed or participated in national programs to engage students to read more.


Read to Excel is composed of a structured curriculum that include  topics in Reading, Mathematics,  and Science using  auditory, visual, and  hands-on activities to keep students actively engaged  to excel in reading.  The program focuses on word building, reading sentences, paragraphs, and books resulting in reading comprehension. The topics covered but not limited are:

  • Plants, Animals and Us
  • Insects
  • Bird Behavior
  • Rocks and Minerals
  • Mathematics All Around Us

Each day the activity begins with introducing the topic with an expert speaker followed by research on the topic, a field-trip, planning, make and take, share time and reading aloud.

Preview a sample of a daily activity
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Topic:  Rocks and Minerals

9:00am – 9:15am Logistics and Introduction of Topic

9:15 am – 9:45 am Speaker

  • A petrologist will discuss how to collect rocks and show students a rock collection.
  • Each student will be given a picture of the rock collection (for his or her mini book and website posting).
  • Each student will select and provide and oral description of 4 or 5 rocks from the rock collection.

9:50 am – 10:30 am Research

After selecting the rocks, students will be shown how to research each rock stating the name, usage and where the rock is found.

10:30 – 11:30 Fieldtrip – Rock Collection

  • Students will go on a fieldtrip in the neighborhood to find three or four rocks to describe and write features of each rock.
  • Each student will create a sentence about a rock he/she found.  The collection of sentences will be shown to all students in a PowerPoint presentation
  • Students will read aloud together all sentences about rocks.
  • After reading the sentences students will list vocabulary words in their mini-book.
  • The teacher will go over the vocabulary words with the students.
  • Students will again read the sentences aloud independently.

11:30 – 12:00 Planning

Students will discuss in their groups

  1. Ways to share information about their rocks and what they learned
  2. Creating a song about their rock
  3. Write and read a poem  about their rock using vocabulary words they learned

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Make and Take

Students will be given a selection of materials to make rocks, decorate their rocks or they can write a story, song, poem etc. about their rock(s).

2:00 pm- 2:30 pm Share Time

Students will share their products.

2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Reading Scholars

Students will take turn reading aloud each day from a book they selected to read.

2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Wrap-up

Each day students will:

  • Pull out vocabulary words out of each paragraph
  • Say the vocabulary words aloud
  • Read each sentence
  • Read the paragraph aloud together
  • Read the sentences independently
  • Ask questions for understanding

All activities are aligned with the Common Core Standards specifically using:

  • Word Cards
  • Word Match
  • Vocabulary
  • Words in a sentence
  • Skills for Reading Comprehension and
  • Finding the big ideas in each paragraph

During the school year

After school Program
$40/Weekly
  • After school program rounds from Monday through Thursday 4:00 PM  – 6:00 PM

Weekend

Saturday
$150/Annual
  • 15 Saturday out of the school year for one low cost. 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Summer Camp

2 week summer camp increments
$200/2 Weeks
  • Our Summer camp runs from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

2016 – 2017 Session Schedule 

Fall Sessions
Week of September 19, 2016 – December 5, 2016

After school  Monday – Thursday 4 – 6 pm

Saturday Fall Sessions – Time 9am – 12 noon

  • September 24
  • October 1, 8, 22, 29
  • November 4, 12, 19
  • December 2, 9
Summer 2017
  • Session 1 – June 12, 2017 – June 23, 2017
  • Session 2 – June 26, 2017 – July 8, 2017
  • Session 3 – July 10, 2017 – July 21, 2017
  • Session 4 – July 24, 2017 – August 4, 2017
  • Session 5 – August 7, 2017 – August 18, 2017