New Readers Book Group at The City Library
In a conference room at the Salt Lake City Public Library, librarian Stephanie G. steadily guides a pencil eraser across a page of a book. New Readers Book Group members follow along over Zoom as a webcam tracks her progress. Word by word, sometimes letter by letter, group members take turns reading aloud.
The New Readers Book Group has been running on-and-off since 2006. It’s a chance for adults with limited literacy to come together and practice reading and comprehension in a no-pressure setting.
Stephanie explains: “We start with me rereading what we read in the last meeting. Then, one of the participants summarizes the passage. We do this for fluency and comprehension. Then, the participants take turns reading one page aloud. I provide support. They continue to take turns until our time runs out.”
Most of the books they cover are middle-grade books that can still appeal to adults. Some of the titles they’ve covered include My Father’s Dragon, Stone Fox, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, Number the Stars, and Journey to Topaz.
“We select our books by a variation on speed dating,” Stephanie says. “I choose 3–5 books at the appropriate reading level that I think the group members will like. The group then chooses 3–5 things they want the book to have, such as ‘can identify with the characters.’ We spend about 5 minutes with each book, rating it by the criteria they have selected. We then tally up the scores and the top one wins.”
The group just finished the Diary of a Young Girl (by Anne Frank). This one was chosen by the group members, who generally have an interest in history. Their current read is Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida, a novel based on the author’s experiences in Japanese internment camp in Utah during WWII.
In a world increasingly reliant on automation, text messages, and as crucial services and resources are accessible mainly online, reading skills are more important than ever. Though Utah has one of the highest literacy rates in the country, 1 in 7 adults in Utah struggle with reading (National Center for Education Statistics). But The City Library’s New Readers Book Group is not a tutoring program. It’s a chance for these adults to do something many of us take for granted: reading for fun.
“Since we’ve been doing books that have history, I enjoy book group,” says one of the group’s regulars. According to Project Read, low literacy and levels negatively affect self-esteem, decision making skills, self-sufficiency, and interpersonal skills. Just like anything, starting slow and practicing leads to success!
“I love being with my friends. I also love working on my reading,” says one happy book group member.
The New Readers Book Group currently happens the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 10–11:30am on Zoom. Plans are to move the group to in-person starting in December. If you know someone you think would be a good fit for this group, please see this form.
