A
reading mentoring program that pairs volunteer tutors with elementary
students to help children boost their skills and confidence has expanded
this year to include Pope and Waller Road elementary schools.
Both
schools launched the Good Samaritan Readers mentoring program last
month, joining established programs at Karshner, Stewart, and Sunrise
elementary schools.
This
is the eleventh year since the reading mentoring program, coordinated
by Communities In Schools of Puyallup (CISP), began in the Puyallup
School District.
Each
student selected to participate is matched with a volunteer tutor who
spends 45 minutes once a week helping with basic reading skills.
Students read books and sight words aloud, practice writing skills,
review classroom reading assignments, and play card or board games that
focus on letters and sounds.
The
program serves first graders this fall at Pope and Waller Road
elementary schools, with a goal to expand in subsequent years to also
serve grades two and three, said Chris Stockslager, coordinator of Good
Samaritan Readers.
Tutors help students succeed
Nearly
two dozen volunteer tutors from throughout the community have already
committed to helping first graders boost their reading skills at Pope
and Waller Road elementary schools, Stockslager said.
The
tutors, ranging from young adults to senior citizens, join more than 70
other Good Samaritan Readers tutors who work with first, second, and
third graders at Karshner, Stewart, and Sunrise elementary schools.
“I can’t imagine not being able to read — it is so important in life,” said Waller Road Elementary tutor Laurel Farley.
Farley has four grandchildren in the school district and a daughter who graduated last year from Puyallup High School.
First
grader Jaimee Weber was all smiles last month after meeting Farley for
the first time. The two started by tracing each other’s hands on paper,
then filled in the center of the drawing with information about
themselves such as family member names, hobbies, and favorite animals.
“Do I get to see you every week?” Jaimee asked excitedly as she picked out several books to read that day.
“I get to see YOU every week!” Farley responded.
At
a reading table nearby, tutor David Hiegel helped first grader Trevor
McBrayne sound out words in the “Turtle’s Boat” book geared for the
student’s reading level. It wasn’t long before both Hiegel and Trevor
were giggling over the turtle’s adventures in the colorfully illustrated
story.
Hiegel,
the worship arts director at High Pointe Community Church on South
Hill, signed up to volunteer at Pope Elementary with fellow members of
his church congregation. When he heard that Waller Road Elementary was
short tutors, he agreed to help there instead.
Hiegel’s two daughters both graduated from Emerald Ridge High School, with the most recent receiving her diploma last year.
“This is my way of giving back to the community and being able to help kids who need extra help,” he said.
Good Samaritan Readers
Good
Samaritan Readers is funded in part with a grant from MultiCare Good
Samaritan Hospital and managed by CISP in partnership with the Puyallup
School District.
The
school district and CISP staff have worked closely the past six months
to align what is taught in the Good Samaritan Readers program with
classroom reading materials that address state learning standards.
Students
in the Good Samaritan Readers program are expected to bring their
classroom reading assignments and homework in a folder or binder to
their weekly meetings with tutors. Tutors then review the materials with
their students and help them as needed.
Both
Pope and Waller Road elementary schools also plan to host literacy
nights three times this year and invite parents of all first-grade
students at each school, including those who have children in Good
Samaritan Readers.
The
literacy nights, including the first one held at each school last
month, are designed to help parents of all first graders learn more
about the district reading curriculum, how students are tested on their
reading progress, and how they can help their children learn to read at
home.
Children
are invited to the events and participate in activities organized by
CISP student volunteers while parents meet with teachers.
“The
parent turnout at the first session was wonderful,” said Jan Mauk,
executive director of Communities In Schools of Puyallup. “I believe
everyone walked away with valuable information and resources to help
their children become better readers.”
The need to read
Research
consistently shows that the reading skills a child acquires by the end
of third grade are highly predictive of future academic performance,
Mauk said
.
A
recent study by the American Educational Research Association found a
student who can’t read on grade level by third grade is four times less
likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who can read proficiently by
that time.
“It’s
clear that children who read at grade level by the end of third grade
will have greater academic success during their remaining school years
and beyond,” Mauk said.
The
45 minutes of weekly personalized tutoring can make the difference, she
added, between a child who dislikes reading and struggles through a
book to one who chooses to read and does so with ease.
In
addition to boosting students’ literacy skills, Pope Elementary
Principal Dave Sunich said the program provides students with a caring
and trusted mentor.
“It
gives them one more reason to feel connected to school and shows them
that the community cares about their success,” Sunich said.
Waller
Road Elementary Principal Rick Cox added, “These students just want to
know they are doing well, and this program provides that.”
As
the first Good Samaritan Readers tutoring session came to a close at
Waller Road Elementary, first grader Angela Campbell placed several
sparkly stickers on her reading log before getting in line to head back
to class.
Tutor
Jessica Willemin, a 2006 Rogers High school graduate, called after
Angela and said, “I’m so proud of you! You did very well today.”