OPERATION BOOKWORM
High School Community Service Project
Recipient of the NJ Dept. of Education Best Practice Award 1998-99

What is OPERATION BOOKWORM?
OPERATION BOOKWORM is a successful volunteer program that brings parents, community members, and high school students into the elementary schools to provide K-2 students with extra reading experiences. It was developed in 1991 by two reading teachers, Ellen Gordon & Eileen Zweig. It is currently used in six South Brunswick, NJ elementary schools as a component of their early childhood reading program. To read more about OPERATION BOOKWORM in the classroom, click here.

The OPERATION BOOKWORM high school community service project pairs kindergarten, first, and second grade students with interested high school students, who act as reading buddies. Elementary students meet with their reading buddies twice a week for thirty minutes a session, as part of an after-school program. Each high school student works for two hours a day, twice a week.

Who Can Participate?
High school students are selected from those interested in fulfilling our community service graduation requirements, or from those interested in pursuing a career in education. The elementary students are those on the Basic Skills roster, those not yet reading to their teachers' satisfaction, or those who need some extra reading practice and attention.

What are the Objectives of the Program?
The objectives are:

• To improve the reading literacy (readiness, book knowledge, and comprehension skills) of kindergarten, first, and second grade students.
• To provide additional support to kindergarten, first, and second grade readers.
• To provide an avenue for high school students to fulfill their community service graduation requirements and/or offer an opportunity for those interested in pursuing a career in education.
• To provide role models for younger students.
• To promote lifelong learning by helping young children improve their reading skills and by giving high school students experiences working with and relating to young children.
• To foster school-community participation/interaction by involving three schools within the district.
• To foster greater respect and understanding of diversity within the community by involving students from various socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

To learn more about setting up an OPERATION BOOKWORM high school program, click here.