FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 29, 2005

Contact: Stuart Pologe, 774-885-2000, stuart@wordsthatcook.org

Words That Cook, LLC and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Partner to Enhance Program Effectiveness

Natick, Massachusetts - Words That Cook, LLC, a creative provider of literacy-based, accredited courseware and educational television programming, today announces a partnership with the Massachusetts branch of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), to whom they provide specific read-aloud skills training. Seventy-five RSVP members have enrolled in the innovative course, Read it Aloud! Tips, Tools & Techniques, in order to increase their effectiveness when tutoring.

Massachusetts RSVP programs have formed this training partnership to give their reading volunteers more confidence, to introduce them to new and engaging reading skills and ultimately enhance the programs' effectiveness and success. Tammy Colbert, Director of the Norfolk County RSVP says, “Watching the children's faces while being read to by a volunteer who has completed the training is a wonderful thing. The children fidget less and become involved with the story. You can see their love of books growing.” Colbert continues, “The satisfaction on the face of the volunteers after they have been asked back is quite gratifying.”

The 10-hour, accredited, distance education course developed by Words That Cook is based upon its book, Read it Aloud! A parents guide to sharing books with young children, published in 2000. The book is co-distributed by the International Reading Association, the largest literacy organization in the world. The course demonstrates techniques on how to use character voices, expressions and reading methods that allow readers to bring books to life for their audiences. The tips, tools and techniques found in the course textbook are age-specific, giving readers the ability to select and read books using methods appropriate to different age groups.

Co-author of the book, Monty Haas, was motivated to support literacy skills training for parents and those involved in the lives of children after being a senior news anchor for an NPR affiliate radio station. “I would receive news copy to read that didn't even have basic subject-verb agreement,” says Haas. “That's when I came to realize that we need to catch these kids when they are young. We need to instill a love of books and reading to help them on their path to becoming productive, literate adults.”

About Words That Cook, LLC
Words That Cook, LLC is an innovative provider of educational courseware and training programs, as well as educational television programming, all to advance the cause of family literacy. Accredited courseware includes Read it Aloud! Tips, Tools and Techniques and soon-to-be-released courseware for those seeking undergraduate college credit in the field of education. Television programming, Words That Cook! Parenting with children's books, appears on select PBS affiliates, as well as many Public Access cable channels across the country. Words That Cook, LLC serves parents, educators, volunteers, librarians and those involved in the lives of children. Free resources may be found on the Internet at www.wordsthatcook.org.

About RSVP
RSVP is part of Senior Corps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. RSVP engages adults aged 55 and older with volunteer opportunities in their community. There are 15 RSVP chapters and approximately 450 RSVP reading tutors throughout the state of Massachusetts. They can be contacted at 413-612-0219.

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Press Release RSVP 11-29-05      Download Printable PDF