Based on documented community need and requests from partnering Chattanooga schools, Why Know Abstinence Education will implement a pilot literacy and book club program expanding from our Road to Excellence Leadership Development groups. Starting in Orchard Knob Middle School and later expanding to other schools, same-sex groups will meet weekly with a literacy teacher and mentor to:
increase proficiency in literacy skills
develop critical thinking by studying and discussing culturally relevant books and topics
gain experiential learning by participating in hands-on activities and field trips that allow students to learn about the book topics in a hands-on manner, making students excited about reading and able to implement new skills
The Book Club Program serves to:
Provide urban youth at Orchard Knob Middle School (and additional schools as the pilot is expanded) with appropriate and interesting books for their home libraries.
Implement Book Clubs for reading aloud, educating in decoding and comprehension skills, and igniting a love for reading. In addition, the books are selected to cover a variety of interesting topics the teens have chosen: self-image, healthy and unhealthy relationships, sexual activity, coping with stress and anger, substance abuse, gang involvement, etc.
Provide opportunities for the adolescents to react to the reading in both oral and written form, thus building their communication and critical thinking skills. Their written narratives will be corrected and returned to them to assist in building their skills.
Introduce literary expressions while critiquing the author, style, and setting of the book.
Give incentives for completing the weekly assigned reading at home, thus encouraging sustained reading outside of the school environment.
Provide experiential learning opportunities to include assignments in which students will personalize the books’ themes. Students will also take field trips appropriate to the settings in the books. Field trips will provide learning opportunities for students to gain a better understanding of the books’ themes and give them ownership of the themes.
Assist schools in their current efforts to educate parents regarding the importance of reading.
