The Literacy Buddy Program matches community volunteers with preschool-aged children to foster literacy development. Volunteers agree to send books and letters to their assigned "buddy" based on the child's interests. Childcare providers support the program by facilitating correspondence between buddies and incorporating reading activities. The program benefits all parties by building literacy skills and community connections while enabling teachers to meet educational objectives.

1. The Literacy Buddy Program
Training
At the Early Learning Coalition
“There is no substitute for books in the life of a child. “
- Mary Ellen Chase

2. We put high
quality books
into the hands
of 3,4, and 5
year old
children...

3. With help &
dedication from
community
volunteers in
Lee,Collier, and
Hendry &Glades
Counties who
make it possible.

4. So How Does it Work?
Volunteers+ ELC+ Providers= Literacy Buddies!

5. Whatis a Literacy
Buddy?
Each year, the Literacy BuddyVolunteers make a
commitment and agree to receive letters from a 3, 4, or 5
year old child.
Each volunteer purchases a book for their Literacy Buddy
based on the child’s interest that is explained in the letter
from the child.
Along with the book, the Literacy Buddy also agrees to send
along a simple letter to the child.
The Buddy may choose to mail in the book, or they can drop
off the book directly to the childcare center- which ever is
more convenient.
Once the child receives their first book & letter, the teacher
will have them write a ThankYou note to send back to their
Buddy indicating a new topic if interest for their next book.
With this new topic of interest, the Buddy will purchase the
second and third books using this same process.
Volunteers

6. Buddy Letters
Here is an example of the
two items the volunteers
receive in their initial Buddy
Letters- the start to the
program.
1. 1. Is the letter from the
ELC
2. 2. is the first letter
from the child which is
provided by the
teacher in their initial
packets.

7. What the child
& provider
should expect
from the
Literacy Buddy
in response to
the child’s first
letter.
A Book that reflects the
child’s interest.
A Short Letter to the Child with
their name and mailing address
clearly visible.
Mia H.
Dear Mia, I heard that you like princesses,
so do I ! I hope you have fun reading your
new book about Fairy Princesses!!
From your Literacy Buddy,
Jane Doe
Jane Doe
1234 Rose Ct.
Naples, FL 34145

8. ThankYou Letters

For each book the child
receives, it is so important for
the teacher to work with the
child and get theirThankYou
note mailed out to the
Literacy Buddy as soon as
possible.The Buddies really
look forward to receiving the
correspondence with their
Little Buddy, and appreciate
recognition for their
donations.
NoThankYou = 
We want to make sure that all
of the Literacy Buddies stick
with the program so that no
child is left without a book.

9. Literacy Buddy Check Lists
Each teacher will receive a personalized Classroom Check list for their Literacy Buddies.
The Check Lists are an important tool that should be used by each Child Care Center to help keep track of the
children who are participating, their Literacy Buddy’s name, mailing address (to sendThankYou Letters), and their
email contact information in case they need to get a hold of the Buddy.
There is also a section for teachers to be able to keep track of who has received their books, and the book due
dates.
 Some teachers insert a space for when theThankYou letters have been sent out.
 This check list is used to make the program run smoothly, and to ensure that everyone has the correct
information.
LITERACY BUDDY CHECKLIST
FourFreedoms Park
Nancy Crawford/ Jennifer
Weaver √ When Book Received
CHILD 1st
NAME LAST
LB LAST
NAME
LB 1st
NAME LB ADDRESS CITY ST ZIP EMAIL
Dec. 15
2015
Feb 15
2016
Apr. 15
2016
Samira A Dubois Lynn
3035Lake Manatee
Ct.
Cape Coral FL 33909 lynndubois88@gmail.com
Jaden B Espana Cinnamon 1528NE4th Ln Cape Coral FL 33909 escape2dreams@yahoo.com
Yeziani C Johnson Jackie 2109 Ne 1st St. Cape Coral FL 33909 jmj1979@embarqmail.com
Antony E Loyola Victoria 2120Ne 25th St. Cape Coral FL 33909 vloyola@markham-norton.com

10. The
Early
Learning
Coalition
Behind the Scenes of the Literacy Buddy Program

11. Buddy Matching
 We match up each Literacy BuddyVolunteer with their little
Buddy(s).
 They may request to have more than one Buddy, or a
Buddy in a particular zip code, county, school, boy/girl.
 Once we have received all of the classroom drawing
packets from each provider, and have entered in all of the
children’s information, then we are able to match up the
children with their Buddies and send out the 1st Buddy
Letters!
 Matching Buddies takes about a week to
accomplish-That is why it is very important to
get the completed Literacy Buddy Provider
Packets sent in to the Early Learning Coalition
ASAP!!!

12. Communication
“TheMiddleMan”
 Once the first Buddy Letters are sent out, the Early Learning
Coalition is in constant contact withVolunteers and Providers,
providing the necessary information that volunteers and providers
need such as:
 Literacy Buddy News Letters
 Email Reminders/Communications
 Classroom help withThankYou Letters
 Coordinating extra volunteer opportunities in the Child Care Facility
with the Literacy BuddyVolunteers
 Answers to inquiries about the Literacy Buddy Program
 Processing newVolunteer Applications Daily
 Reassignment of Buddies
“We are here to help in any way we can to make this program enjoyable for everyone involved!”

13. Child Care
Providers
Why are the Child Care Providers so important to the Literacy
Buddy Program?

14. ChildCareProvidersaretheBiggestAssetstothe
LiteracyBuddyProgram.
 We count on the Child Care Providers for some very important duties:
 They provide the ELC with all of the children information, which is needed in order to
carry out the program.
 Keep track of who has received books and who has not, and who has written/sentThankYou
letters.
 Share the program with the parents to encourage reading at home.
 Help the children to write theirThankYou letters, or scribe for them if they are unable to
write yet.
 ***Mail out theThankYou letters immediately to the Buddies****
 Report back to theCoalition immediately if a child has withdrawn from their program/if
they need help with sending out theThankYou Letters so that we can offer the appropriate
help and keep our Literacy Buddy volunteers happy.**
 Incorporate reading activities in the classroom to get the children excited about reading.

15. HowcantheLiteracy
BuddyProgrambenefit
ChildCareProviders?
Offers an opportunity for the teachers to “Teach Intentionally”.
Teaching Intentionally:With specific outcomes or developmental goals in mind,
teachers use their knowledge, judgement, and expertise to organize learning
experiences for children.They recognize each new opportunity (new books
coming in for the children) as a teaching/learning opportunity for the entire class.
A chance to incorporate reading and writing into their classroom environments
by creating new centers such as:
A classroom library
Playing post office
Making word walls
Interactive bulletin boards to create focus areas
Cross Cultural Journaling activities
The Literacy Buddy Program provides the opportunity to include all three
influences in an ongoing literacy learning experience that also focuses on
social-emotional, language, cognitive, physical, social studies and the arts
objectives.
Teaching Strategies GOLD Objectives:
Many of the children participating in Literacy Buddies are required by School
Readiness andVPK to be assessed byTeaching Strategies Gold Assessments.
Literacy Buddies offers the teachers a chance to observe many of the required
checkpoints.

16. Webbing:
Ideas for
Centers in the
Classroom
Expand the children’s
knowledge and
excitement about a
particular topic in a book
by creating different
centers around the
classroom.
Centers
Art
Writing
Math
Science
Sensory
Block
Reading

17. A real example of
a classroom
activity inspired
by Literacy
Buddies
Monster In My Closet (By Eric Klug)
“After reading this story, the children answered questions about it and
some retold the parts that they liked the most.We made a recall and
detail activity to explore more about this fun story. The children were
asked to go through the book, find their favorite illustration, and
then pay attention to the detail to draw shapes and lines like the ones
they saw in the picture. We talked about what shapes create the image
of the monsters and what colors matched the pages in the book. They
were encouraged to take their time and to keep looking at the details.
They loved their finished products and were very excited to show them
to their friends!”

19. Teaching
Strategies
GOLD
Objectives that
areObserved
The Literacy Buddy Program
offers teachers the chance to
build upon their lesson plans
while also including the
opportunities for them to make
required observations for their
School Readiness andVPK
children forTeaching Strategies
GOLD.
PHYSICAL LANGUAGE COGNITIVE LITERACY MATH SCIENCE THE ARTS
7: Demonstrates
fine-motor
strength and
coordination.
a) Uses fingers
and hands
Uses writing and
drawing tools.
8. Listens to and
understands
increasingly
complex language.
a) Comprehends
language.
b) Follows
directions.
11.
Demonstrates
positive
approaches to
learning.
a) Attends and
engages.
17. Demonstrates
knowledge of
print and its uses.
a) Uses and
appreciates books.
b) Uses print
concepts.
21. Explores and
describes spatial
relationships and
shapes.
b) Understands
shapes.
26. Demonstrates
knowledge of
physical
properties of
objects &
materials.
33. Explores
the visual
arts.
10. Uses
appropriate
conversational and
other
communication
skills.
a) Engages in
Conversations.
14. Uses
symbols and
images to
represent
something not
present.
a) Thinks
symbolically.
18. Comprehends
and responds to
books and other
texts.
a) Interacts during
read-alouds and
book
conversations.
b) Uses emergent
reading skills.

20. Bytheendoftheschoolyear,
everyoneshouldbesatisfiedwith
whattheLiteracyBuddyProgram
hasbroughttothem.

21. 1.Volunteers:
They have had 3
ThankYou letters
from their Literacy
Buddy, and were
able to see their
literacy skills
increase with the
help of the books
they provided!

22. 2. TheEarlyLearning
Coalition:
We have successfully
made connections
between community
members and children
in need.And have
organized donations of
over 4,00 books to
children in need, who
might not have the
opportunity to have
books of their own
otherwise.

23. 3: ChildCare Providers
Teachers have hadthe
opportunityto accomplish
the majorityoftheirTSG
checkpointobservations
with help andideas from
the program.
They have beenable to
workwith the children to
encouragereading at
schoolandathome,and
have been able to
transformtheir classroom
into aliteracy-rich learning
environment.
I love my
new books
so much !!!

24. We want to
spread the gift of
Literacy to as
manychildrenas
possible.
Sign up today to
be a Buddy,or to
get your
classroom
involved!
How to Volunteer:
 Go to the ELC website and click
on the Literacy Buddies tab to
print out or email a Buddy
Application
 Go to the ELC FaceBook Page,
and fill out submit the easy
online form.
How to enroll your class:
 Contact the ELC by email or
phone to get your classroom
enrolled in our next upcoming
Program.
 239-935-6186
 literacybuddies@elcofswfl.org

25. We want to
spread the gift of
Literacy to as
manychildrenas
possible.
Sign up today to
be a Buddy,or to
get your
classroom
involved!
How to Volunteer:
 Go to the ELC website and click
on the Literacy Buddies tab to
print out or email a Buddy
Application
 Go to the ELC FaceBook Page,
and fill out submit the easy
online form.
How to enroll your class:
 Contact the ELC by email or
phone to get your classroom
enrolled in our next upcoming
Program.
 239-935-6186
 literacybuddies@elcofswfl.org

26. We want to
spread the gift of
Literacy to as
manychildrenas
possible.
Sign up today to
be a Buddy,or to
get your
classroom
involved!
How to Volunteer:
 Go to the ELC website and click
on the Literacy Buddies tab to
print out or email a Buddy
Application
 Go to the ELC FaceBook Page,
and fill out submit the easy
online form.
How to enroll your class:
 Contact the ELC by email or
phone to get your classroom
enrolled in our next upcoming
Program.
 239-935-6186
 literacybuddies@elcofswfl.org

27. We want to
spread the gift of
Literacy to as
manychildrenas
possible.
Sign up today to
be a Buddy,or to
get your
classroom
involved!
How to Volunteer:
 Go to the ELC website and click
on the Literacy Buddies tab to
print out or email a Buddy
Application
 Go to the ELC FaceBook Page,
and fill out submit the easy
online form.
How to enroll your class:
 Contact the ELC by email or
phone to get your classroom
enrolled in our next upcoming
Program.
 239-935-6186
 literacybuddies@elcofswfl.org

28. We want to
spread the gift of
Literacy to as
manychildrenas
possible.
Sign up today to
be a Buddy,or to
get your
classroom
involved!
How to Volunteer:
 Go to the ELC website and click
on the Literacy Buddies tab to
print out or email a Buddy
Application
 Go to the ELC FaceBook Page,
and fill out submit the easy
online form.
How to enroll your class:
 Contact the ELC by email or
phone to get your classroom
enrolled in our next upcoming
Program.
 239-935-6186
 literacybuddies@elcofswfl.org

29. We want to
spread the gift of
Literacy to as
manychildrenas
possible.
Sign up today to
be a Buddy,or to
get your
classroom
involved!
How to Volunteer:
 Go to the ELC website and click
on the Literacy Buddies tab to
print out or email a Buddy
Application
 Go to the ELC FaceBook Page,
and fill out submit the easy
online form.
How to enroll your class:
 Contact the ELC by email or
phone to get your classroom
enrolled in our next upcoming
Program.
 239-935-6186
 literacybuddies@elcofswfl.org

30. We want to
spread the gift of
Literacy to as
manychildrenas
possible.
Sign up today to
be a Buddy,or to
get your
classroom
involved!
How to Volunteer:
 Go to the ELC website and click
on the Literacy Buddies tab to
print out or email a Buddy
Application
 Go to the ELC FaceBook Page,
and fill out submit the easy
online form.
How to enroll your class:
 Contact the ELC by email or
phone to get your classroom
enrolled in our next upcoming
Program.
 239-935-6186
 literacybuddies@elcofswfl.org