Donna James

James' "Cross-Grade Reading Buddy Program" creates partnerships among at-risk K-2 students and older grade-school students through biweekly reading and writing tutorials. The younger students get vocabulary and reading comprehension assistance by reading and listening to multicultural children's books. They also develop writing skills by writing responses to the books and creating stories of their own. Through their function as tutors, the older students broaden their literature-based experiences and gain teaching and communication skills.