Whittier, CA – Carrying stacks of books with new adventures and a deck of flash cards, Santa Fe Springs City librarians send a jolt of excitement into third-graders at Rancho Santa Gertrudes Elementary every Wednesday and Thursday when they show up for a reading club designed to get students up to speed in reading comprehension.

Through a partnership with the District, the librarians spend an hour each day helping small groups with students elevate their reading levels.

“The Santa Fe Springs City Library shares our commitment to empowering the kids of our community and the reading club program has been so valuable to our students,” Rancho Principal Octavio Perez said. “We are very grateful to the library and its staff who run a separate reading program but spend the extra time to visit us onsite to make sure our kids are getting the tools they need.”

The reading club program began in October with about 16 students chosen based on their accelerated reading test scores. In groups of four, they practice read and recovery exercises, take quizzes on listening comprehension and play instructional games. One such game is “connected reading,” in which instructors throw cards with words on a table, challenging students to use six cards to form a sentence.

“The kids really look forward to our games and it helps them connect to the instruction in a fun way,” said literary services librarian Ryan Pena, who participates each week alongside librarian Danielle Gonzalez. “The club is a great way to keep kids sharp in reading curriculum and ensure that they are not falling behind their classmates.”

The reading club is a part of a suite of preventative programs aimed at students scoring below grade level in specific areas. Third-grade teacher Raquel Chavez’s students enjoy the program.

“When the librarians enter our class, the club students are so enthusiastic that our other kids are envious they cannot join,” Chavez said. “Reading performance of those select students has already improved in just three months and it’s great to get the support in helping them achieve.”

Participants in the reading club were tested in literacy and comprehension when the group began in October and will again be reassessed in May.

“The reading club is another example of what we can accomplish when the community comes together in support of our kids,” Los Nietos Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez said. “Santa Fe Springs Library is a valuable partner and our District is reaping the benefits.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

011917_LOSNIETOS_READINGCLUB1: Santa Fe Springs City librarians visit Rancho Santa Gertrudes Elementary twice a week for a third-grade reading club designed to get students up to speed in reading comprehension.

011917_LOSNIETOS_READINGCLUB2: Santa Fe Springs City librarians practice read and recovery exercises with Rancho Santa Gertrudes Elementary students as a part of a reading club designed to get students up to speed in reading comprehension.