Holly Hatch

Major: Child, Adult, and Family Services
Company/Organization: Raising Readers in Story County
Company/Organization website: https://www.raising-readers.org/
Destination: Ames Iowa
Timeframe: Spring
Advisor/Coordinator Email: enloe@iastate.edu

Responsibilities

I was responsible for creating the lesson plans for the preschool Reading Buddies program as well as the Harrison Barnes Reading Academy at the Ames Public Library. Also, I volunteered to read with four preschoolers at the Northwood Preschool Center. Another responsibility of mine was to supervise and support tutors during program sessions. Lastly, I helped my coworkers by assisting them with projects and activities.

Accomplishments

I had many wonderful experiences at Raising Readers in Story County, but one specific accomplishment that comes to mind is when I was working one on one with a child with special needs. This little boy is very busy and has a short attention span. Therefore, I knew that I needed to find an engaging story or reading activity to keep him focused. I kept trying multiple stories with different topics but no luck. Then I tried making letters with play-doh, and still, this child was not interested. Finally, I handed him a sequencing puzzle that intrigued the child. He sat down for a good 20 minutes working on this puzzle. Overall, I could have gotten frustrated and gave up but instead, I continued to try multiple strategies until I found something that interested the child.

What advice would you give?

My advice for future students is to not be afraid to push past your comfort zone because this is how you get the most out of your internship experience.

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