BookPALS Guidelines - Florida

A program of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation

 

Join Us! Donating your time to help the children of Florida improve their reading skills may be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll encounter. The children are struck with awe for their BookPALS and will often ask the most amazing questions about the stories you read.

 

The first step to becoming a BookPAL is to complete a school district volunteer application, which is required every school year. Each county has its own application and most are available on school district websites. If you need help locating yours, please contact Natalie. It is necessary to complete this application not only for liability reasons, but also to ensure that schools get proper credit for volunteer hours, which may qualify them for awards, grants and other benefits.

 

BookPALS read to Pre-K through 5th grade. Let us know your grade preference, and we’ll pair you with the nearest participating BookPALS school. If the nearest school is too far, we will introduce the program to a closer school.

 

BookPALS work directly with teachers to determine a reading schedule that works best for everyone. Most BookPALS read for thirty minutes in two classrooms, back to back, at the same time and day each week (1 hour total).

 

We provide lots of book recommendations by grade level and topic. BookPALS are encouraged to talk to their teachers about what the class is studying. Most readers are happy to make their visits relevant to curriculum. For example, during a study of the continents, you might like to read tales of children from other lands. Before a class camping trip, perhaps you could bring in campfire stories, songs or games. Or, when studying the rain forest, you might read rain forest folk tales, songs or customs. If the teachers have specific books they’d like you to read, ask them to please loan you the book(s) the week before so you can be prepared.

 

Keeping talking to your teachers as the weeks unfold. Share ideas about what seems to be working and how the program can be shaped for your classes. Enjoy!

HAPPY READING!