The Cozy Reading program is a community partnership in the Region of Halton (Ontario, Canada

Two Halton Kindergarten teachers developed the Cozy Reading program in 1998.  Volunteers read to Junior and Senior Kindergarten students.  The program objective is to promote a positive emotional response to reading, and to read interactively in such a way that children view reading as a meaning making activity and develop concepts of print essential to literacy success.

The Province of Ontario’s Early Years Challenge Fund funds the program.  There is no cost to schools to participate in the program.  All resources for the program are provided for volunteer use (books and a volunteer manual).  Volunteer training/orientation is also provided and can be scheduled at the school for volunteer convenience.

Volunteers are recruited from within the school community (most likely by the teacher) in addition to the community at large.  Volunteers need to fill out an application form, disclaimer form and provide a Police Criminal Record Check (copies of which will be kept on file with the Cozy Reading Coordinator and the school).  If a volunteer has a Police Criminal Record Check on file at the school, a copy can be provided to the Coordinator.  Volunteers need to keep an activity log (# of hours volunteered and # of children read to) that must be sent to the Cozy Reading Coordinator on a monthly basis.

School staff needs to provide a school orientation to the volunteer and explain the schools volunteer sign-in/out procedures.  Classroom teachers identify students who participate in the program and need to coordinate with the volunteer mutually convenient times to come into the school to volunteer.