Kindergarten Best Paw Reading Program

to begin October 6th

Due to increased curriculum demands and the huge success of the Best Paw program in kindergarten over the past few years we are excited to once again offer the Best Paw program to the kindergarten class this year. This is an excellent opportunity in assisting your kindergarten student to recognize the required sight words, of which they will learn 100 by the end of the year. The Best Paw books can also be used on the monthly reading logs required by some teachers.

PARTICIPATION IS VOLUNTARY and open to all students in all kindergarten classes but your child will earn prizes along the way and be encouraged to read.

Here are some guidelines of how the program operates:

• Program will begin Monday, October 6, 2008.

• Students will choose a “yellow” Best Paw book from the school library or the classroom library. Yellow Best Paw books are marked with a yellow dot on the spine and lower left cover. Best Paw books are kept on special shelves in the school library, as well as in the classrooms. Students will be encouraged to check out Best Paw books during their regular library time.

• Best Paw books can be read from public or home libraries as well. The complete Best Paw reading list is found on the PTA website at courregespta.org and is updated monthly. There are currently over 375 yellow books on our list!

• After a child has finished a book they will be tested. The parent volunteer will ask 4-6 prewritten questions specific to the story. Best Paw testing will take place during teacher requested times. If you are interested in volunteering to test in your child’s classroom please come to one of the following training meetings either Tuesday, September 30 or Friday October 3.

• If the child answers the questions adequately (80% accuracy) they will receive 1 point for each book read. They receive a prize for every five points. (Prizes for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 points)

• If a child earns 30 points (Reads and successfully answers questions for 30 books) before the end of the program on Friday, May 1, 2009, they will be invited to the Ice Cream Party on Friday, May 14, 2009.

• For each point earned over 30 points the child will receive one (1) raffle tickets for an opportunity to win Cougar Bucks to spend at our spring Bookfair.

• For more information about Best PAW, please see www.courregespta.org/Committee/BestPaw/BestPaw.htm

We fully realize that all kindergarten children are not “reading” at this point. But we encourage you to review the yellow level Best Paw books. Most are for the emerging / pre-reader with limited words per page and illustrations that provide context clues. Feel free to read the book to your child the first time, and even the second. By the third time the child will be able to “read” many of the words, and if tried again, they may be able to “read” the whole book by themselves. Even if your child is not a reader, this program helps build their self-confidence and improves their comprehension.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact

Laura Villafuerte 714-593-6355 or Jennifer Edmonds 714-963-0755

Or email at bestpaw@courregespta.org