Read Aloud Program

The Read Aloud Program is a partnership among the faculty and staff of Boston College, the Boston Public Schools and Boston Partners in Education. The program's volunteers are assigned to read to students once a month at the Mary Lyon, James Garfield Elementary School, or St. Columbkille School in Brighton. For more information about the program, click here.

Volunteers are part of a four person team that reads to an assigned class (kindergarten through grade five). The time commitment for each volunteer is one hour a month from noon to 1:00 p.m. This includes travel between Boston College and the school. Being part of a four person team ensures that the Read Aloud takes place on a regular weekly basis. Reading begins in mid-October and runs until the end of the academic calendar year.

The team of four works together to coordinate the readings. The readings can be from picture books for younger students or a succession of chapters in more advanced books for older students. Readings can be timed to the season or class lessons or can be taken from a recommended book list.

Faculty and staff from all areas of the of campus participate in the program. You need not have any experience in a classroom. There is a training before the program begins each year. The training includes handouts, an updated booklist, ideas, tips, and techniques to make Read Aloud successful.

Volunteering in this program takes very little time, yet it is tremendously rewarding. The response from the volunteers, teachers and students has been enthusiastically positive since the program's inception in 1995. The continuing success of the program depends on staff and faculty participation.

This year's training session will be on Tuesday, September 18th from noon to 1:00 pm in the Walsh Hall Function Room. Lunch will be provided.

If you're either a returning reader or a new volunteer for the Read Aloud Program, please submit an application form.