Thank you Tellico Community Foundation

As a result of the generosity of the Tellico Community Foundation, we have added the Rookie Readers program in Boys & Girls Club of Loudon County.

Thirty-five participants in grades K-2 were served through the program with the goal to support and reinforce the basic foundational skills of literacy. Throughout the duration of the program, Club members focused on specific books and literacy skills. These books focused on literary components to include character, setting, plot, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. In addition, Club members also participated in activities such as drama, dance, and games to reinforce comprehension and literary skills with movement and physical action. Arts and crafts activities as well as educational software were also included in the Rookie Readers program.

Additionally, incentives were included as part of the program. Rookie Readers participants received books to develop individual at-home libraries. Club members were encouraged to read to their parent / guardians outside of the Club and school settings. These efforts have been implemented to support and enhance the literary experience at the Club setting while supporting the academic successes of the classroom.

Club members were assessed utilizing DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) for pre and post testing instruments. The evaluation of the student assessments indicated that 71% of the Rookie Readers participants demonstrated growth and / or maintained levels of literary components focusing on sound / letter recognition (for Kindergarten students) and oral reading fluency (for students in Grades 1 and 2).

Thanks to the Tellico Community Foundation for your generosity and support of the Rookie Readers program.