Laying the foundation for future academic achievement
Mini-IMANI is a literacy program for Montclair Public School students in Grades K-5. Certified teachers assisted by trained parent facilitators lead each grade in lively discussions of age-appropriate books. IMANI Reading and Discussion Groups build critical skills while helping children develop a love of reading and storytelling. Learn more.
Mini-IMANI meets two Sunday afternoons a month during the school year (see calendar below the form) at the Charles H. Bullock School, 55 Washington St, Montclair, NJ.
- I was really impressed with the engagement of the students and the feedback during the discussions that we had about the books. It is a good thing to keep the kids reading on the weekend outside of the books they read for school.” – Mini-IMANI TeacherIMANI Reading and Discussion Groups
The goal of Mini-IMANI is to enable children to strengthen their reading and language arts skills while socializing with their peers in small group discussions and activities geared to their reading level and interests.
How Mini-IMANI works
New books are distributed at each session. Children are expected to read the books before the next session. Then they will be ready to discuss the books when they meet again. See examples of Mini-IMANI reading selections.
Before each discussion, teachers assign roles to Mini-IMANI participants. Roles vary by age level but may include:
- A summarizer, who identifies key ideas or themes
- A leader, who calls on other members of the group
- A word wizard, who identifies key words for the group to discuss
- An illustrator, who draws pictures to illustrate what the book is about
These roles foster critical thinking skills and motivate students to be actively involved in the discussions.
Volunteers are needed!
Full support of a parent or guardian is an essential component of the program. For information about registration, tuition scholarships, carpooling, or volunteer opportunities, call IMANI at (973) 509-2822 or email info@imaniprograms.org.
Mini-IMANI Sample Reading Selections
Here are some of the books children at different grade levels have read in Mini-IMANI.
| Grade | Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten |  No, David |  Are you my mother? |  Ma Dear's Old Green House |
| Grade 1 |  Chrysanthemum |  Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain |  Ron's Big Mission |
| Grade 2 |  I'm Too Fond of My Fur |  Julian's Glorious Summer |  Gloria Rising |
| Grade 3 |  Donovan's Word Jar |  Loved Best |  Time Warp Trip: Tut Tut |
| Grade 4 |  Sing Down the Moon |  Coming Home |  Kid Lawyer |
| Grade 5 |  James and the Giant Peach |  Esperanza Rising |  Nelson Mandela |