RDNG030: Inter-Generational Reading Project
In this RDNG030 course, students have the opportunity to participate in service learning. Service
learning integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, encourage civic
responsibility, and strengthen communities.
COURSE PROJECT DESIGN:
1. Students select picture books with universal themes to read to the elderly at an assisted living or
adult day care facility.
2. Students use critical thinking skills to design their own comprehension questions that help the
elderly construct meaning and recall personal memories related to the story.
3. Students have the opportunity to present their stories and questions to a student-based audience
for practice.
4. Students present the picture books in a “story-time” format using auditory and visual cues to the
elderly.
5. Students ask questions before, during and after the reading to encourage self-expression and
inclusion amongst the elderly.
6. Students reflect on their experience and share their reflections with cohorts.
COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students demonstrate the construction of meaning when reading by citing evidence from the text.

Students demonstrate metacognitive skills to monitor and regulate reading and thinking
processes.
GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES

Students demonstrate personal and social responsibility through collaboration with others in
diverse group settings, and through civic knowledge and participation.

Students demonstrate a range of abilities from tangible problem-solving to higher order processes
of analysis, inference, reasoning, synthesis, and judgment
COMMUNITY PARTNER OBJECTIVES:

Students demonstrate presentation skills that provide auditory, visual, and kinesthetic stimulation
to engage an elderly audience.

Students demonstrate discussion skills that solicit the cognitive processes of the elderly through
the context of a story.

Students demonstrate social skills that provide the elderly with opportunities for self-identity by
soliciting their related personal stories.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

Students demonstrate analysis and synthesis skills through reflection in response to a series of
questions related to both the service and the learning outcomes.

Students demonstrate the writing process by preparing a formal reflective essay through the
process of drafting, revising, editing, and publishing using MLA documentation and word
processing skills.
COMMENTS FROM STUDENT REFLECTIONS

I view life differently as a result of this project, I understand how precious life is and the abilities
we have to take care of ourselves. ~Taylor

My time reading to the elderly people has shown me to appreciate the people we have in our lives
more. ~Andrew

Each person no matter how old has value and knowledge that they can pass on to others. ~Josie

Giving back to your community is a reward in itself. ~Joy

No matter how you read you just have to relate the story to your story and make it your own.
~Anthony

The insight that I learned about reading is that it is more than just reading the words, that there is
a lot of meaning when you stop and think about what the author is trying to say~ Tracey

As we age, we still enjoy stories and it is a good tool to help with the memory process. ~Jenny