For the past five years, Behind the Book has worked to excite children and young adults about reading. Working with low-income students in K-12 public schools, we bring authors and their books into individual classrooms to build literacy skills and nurture a new generation of readers. Our authors and illustrators work closely with teachers and administrators to integrate the books with the class curriculum and make several visits to the classrooms to ensure continuity. We tailor our programs to meet the needs of each classroom. Our programs cover such diverse areas as the Elementary School Initiative (ElSI), in which students write and illustrate their own books, and the WITT seminar, a high school program that allows students the opportunity to discuss and write critical analyses of works by award-winning authors. Behind the Book has been praised by teachers, administrators, authors, and, most importantly, the students themselves.
Behind the Book is seeking volunteers for our classroom visits to provide one-on-one and small group support to elementary school students. As a volunteer that helps with author visits in the classroom, you may:
- assist students in crafting stories, writing essays, and/ or producing other art and
writing projects (ex. explaining projects to students; helping students clarify
their ideas; editing, revising, and giving feedback on student writing; reading
with students)
- take photographs of the classroom in action which will be posted on the Behind the
Book and sponsor web sites and in mailings
No previous experience working or volunteering in classrooms is necessary since Behind the Book and school staff are present in the classrooms at all times and will be there to help guide you.
Please note that each author visit lasts from one-and-a-half to two hours. Including travel time, you should plan on being away from your home/office for several hours, but no longer than a morning or an afternoon. Typically, you will work with the same group of elementary school students in the same classroom for three to five author visits, which will be spaced over one to three months. Having volunteers commit to a series provides our students with continuity and structure, and provides you with a deeper knowledge of the class curriculum and author's program (as well as a chance to get to know the students better!).
Dates and times are set in advance, allowing ample time for you to schedule Behind the Book visits into your schedule and give advance notice to supervisors of where you will be and for how long. Before visits, you will also receive an email that includes other essential information such as the school's location, how to get there, contacts at school, etc.
As a volunteer, you will not only experience, but also be integral to, the program from beginning to end.
