WEEK 2: INTRODUCTIONS AND INTEREST, FINDING JUST RIGHT BOOKS (Sept. 20)

Suggested Ice Breakers

  • Things that Represent Me (remote)

    • Look around your home and try to find some items that represent you (e.g. favorite snack, toy, hobbies, etc.) 

  • Body Writing 

    • Try to spell your names with a part of your body (ie. nose, elbow, leg) and see if the other person can guess the spelling. 

  • Freeze Dance: Put on some of your favorite (kid friendly) music and dance away. Mentor turns off the music and looks to make sure the mentee is frozen. Alter the timings to make it more difficult!

  • Refer to the Enrichment Program Game & Ice Breaker List for additional activities.

Purpose: This week you will meet your mentee! The purpose of this first session is for the mentor and mentee to develop bonds of friendship, to check in and get acquainted with one another. For this session, please use the following get to know you questions and activities to better get to know each other (feel free to ask your own as well!) After, you will practice finding books related to your mentee’s interests and reading level.

Introduction Practice: Try to learn about the following about each other:

  1. Name

  2. Grade in school 

  3. Favorite subjects

  4. A highlight of your first month of school

  5. Things you are excited about for this school year

  6. Things you’re scared or nervous about for this school year

  7. Learn about each other’s families

  8. A fun fact about yourself

More Fun Get to Know You Questions:

  1. If you had to eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be?

  2. If you could be an animal for one day, which animal would you pick?

  3. Would you rather crawl all day or crab walk? 

  4. What is your silliest dance move?

  5. If you had a superhero ability, what would it be?

  6. Did you read any books this summer? Which ones? Did you have any favorites?

  7. Would you rather be a ninja who thinks he's a chicken or a chicken who thinks he's a ninja?

Reading Practice: 

  • Questions to ask: What topics are you interested in school? What do you love learning about? Animals, Science, Space, Art, etc.?

  • Explore Reading A-Z with your mentee and practice looking for books in the mentee’s reading level that is related to their field of interest. Refer to your mentee’s about me pg to find out what their reading level is. 

NAVIGATING READING A-Z

STEP1: https://www.readinga-z.com/

STEP2: Click Member Log In

Username: TPSMentorship

Password: TPS2020

STEP3: Click on Resources → Leveled Texts → All Leveled Books

STEP4: Click on student level and explore books!

STEP 5: Project Book

FINDING A JUST RIGHT BOOK

When reading books together, help your mentee choose a book at the “just-right” reading level, by asking yourself questions such as: “How fast are they reading though the book? How many words are they struggling with? Do they sound like a storyteller?  Do they understand what’s going on in the text?” If they are having difficulty, perhaps you can explore books in a lower reading level, or if they are cruising through, you can explore a higher reading level. Remember that you can take turns reading together, though as much as possible, encourage them to read through the book with you.