Working on reading skills in your Christian outreach program

A faith based outreach program provides a great opportunity to work on basic literacy skills with urban children and teens. As a matter of fact, D. L. Moody started Sunday School in the early 1900s in Chicago as a way to teach poor, uneducated city kids how to read. He wasn't a preacher, teacher, or reading specialist. He was a sales guy!

If he can do it, so can you.

It's not about words

Literacy programs aren't about words, they're about encouragement. Just building a relationship with a student and believing in him will do wonders. You don't require a #2 pencil—just effort. You have a community of encouragers, not test givers.

Act One

Have students translate a Bible story into a play.

Have fun with it. Here are a few examples:

• Confessions of Samson's Hair Stylist
• Nehemiah guest stars on This Old Wall
• King Solomon's Rags to Riches infomercial

Make copies of the play for everyone and practice, practice, practice. Along with unleashing the creativity of high risk youth, the simple of practicing aloud helps with reading fluency.

NebbaWhateva.

Ask students how they would spell some of those tongue-twisting names of the Bible. NebbaCanNezzer makes more sense than Nebuchadnezzar, Salms more sense than Psalms, etc. Take a minute to sound out new words, biblical places, or names.

Give 50 Percent

Did you know that 100 words encompass 50% of the words used in written material? (learn more at http://www.literacyconnections.com/)

They're called sight words . They make it possible to read the following mumbo jumbo:

If students know these small words by sight, they can spend more time figuring out what other words mean.

Discover more ideas in TastyFaith's Hard Knocks Guide to Literacy.

It contains:

• Teaching tips for the volunteer tutor
• Creative ways to use the bible to teach phonics to urban youth
• Ways help ESL students (English as a second language)
• How to build a fabulous vocabulous
• Helpful websites