Lindsey Beck

Dr. McCracken
Foundations of Literacy
16 March 2015
Project Story Boost Reflection
Project Story Boost was created to test potential benefits on reading to at-risk children on
a consistent basis. The project believed exposing children to literature through a reading buddy
would increase their chance of a successful education and enhance their future reading
knowledge. The project simply requires to read aloud to students as often as possible to open
their eyes to text illustrations, reading predictions, and reading comprehensions. During the
spring of 2015, I was assigned to three kindergarten students that attended Frances Slocum
Elementary School in Marion, Indiana. Every Wednesday morning for a total of forty minutes, I
would read a variety of books to two groups of kindergarteners (twenty minutes per group). My
first group contained two girls, Nevaeh and Tristan while my second group contained just one
small boy named, Ja Marcus. Together, we began our literacy journey and enjoyed the many
books that were to come.
During the first reading session with the three kindergarteners, I noticed that JaMarcus
was a quick learner and someone who enjoyed having a book in his lap. Though he couldnt pick
up many words, he would follow along with me as I read the stories and make many comments if
he could relate to the story. Tristan and Neveah on the other hand were a little more distracted,
not showing much interest in the books we read. During the first interaction with the students, I
sought after their topics of interest in hopes to bring books to life over a subject they enjoyed.

For the rest of our time together, we would read one book a session that included a cat, princess,
and superhero. While attending to the students desires and interests, I also exposed them to
various types of childrens literature to expand their literary knowledge. Slowly but surely
Tristan and Nevaeh began to enjoy the poems I would read or the funny, interactive Mo Willems
books. Ja Marcus was always content with whatever book he chose to read, but especially
favored books that had no words, only pictures in them.
By the middle of the semester, I realized I had all three students on board for reading.
Nevaeh impressed me with her memory of stories that we read together last week. She would
comment that David was just scolded last week during another book we had read of his, No,
David!, during the book, David Gets in Trouble. Tristan was beginning to understand predictions.
She struggled at the beginning of the semester to create an appropriate prediction, but with some
practice, she proved to grasp the concept of story predictions by boldly stating, Maybe the
Rainbow fish will share some of his glittered fins to his friends. Ja Marcus also began to show
off his prediction skills. While reading a book that had no words, only pictures, Ja Marcus
predicted without being asked What do you think will happen, the end of the story that almost
aligned with the authors story ending. A few weeks into the Story Boost Project, I was seeing
positive improvements from the kindergarteners which made me look forward to the weeks to
come.
Reaching the end of the semester, I was pleasantly surprised at the great amount of
growth each student had to show for. I have witnessed two students who once struggled to
engage with a book now squeal with excitement when picking out a book they want to read. I
have also witnessed the growth of one student who began with appropriate reading skills and
now is almost reading above grade level and applying literary concepts like predictions and story

illustration explanations. Reading was no longer a weekly struggle for me to gain the students
attentions, but instead became an activity that we participated in together. I was amazed at the
simplicity this project called for that created such extraordinary results, but I now see the
importance of exposing children of all ages to literature. Its more than the subject that is
presented, its the life that is brought out of the story.