Children in transitional kindergarten to 4th grade.
Book Buddies Program is sponsored by Benerd College at University of the Pacific and is a response to the literacy needs of children in the Stockton community. Children are paired with University of the Pacific student mentors and meet one-on-one each week throughout the spring semester. The mentors read to the children and then engage with the child in literacy-based activities to develop reading comprehension skills. Some of these activities include drawing, using graphic organizers, making flash cards for vocabulary, and using hand puppets to retell stories. Each semester the Book Buddies Program serves over two dozen grade school children.
Their sessions are held in the "Book Buddies Corner," a designated area in the lobby of Benerd College on the corner of Kensington Way and Dave Brubeck Way. Parents can sign up when they arrive or use the sign-up sheet on the website. Parents must remain in the building during the reading sessions. They have guest readers each week and a workshop for parents if they are interested.
