Reading coaches make reading fun
You may have noticed that the big yellow school busses are off the roads, which means school’s out! When students return in September, their reading skills will need some TLC if they hope to succeed.
Recent statistics from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that 37 percent of fourth-graders and 26 percent of eighth-graders cannot read at the basic level, which means that when reading grade-appropriate text, these students cannot extract the general meaning of or make obvious connections between the text and their own experiences.
Every aspect of our lives is affected by how well we read and comprehend. Job applications, vital dosage instructions on medications, grocery labels, news bulletins, attaining an education, warning/road signs — these are just a few of the daily tasks that are critical to our functioning well.
If we can improve the reading skills of our students, do we provide them with opportunities for success in life? More than likely. We know that if students are not reading proficiently by the fourth grade, they are four times more likely to drop out of high school than their peers.
During the 2016-17 school year, 144 RSVP America Reads volunteers supported 1,900 students in 57 elementary schools located in Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties. Together, these volunteers dedicated 9,046 hours to help students improve. Students benefited from these sessions greatly with 84 percent improving their reading fluency, 85 percent improving their comprehension and 85 percent improving their reading confidence.
RSVP places volunteer reading coaches into kindergarten to fourth-grade classrooms throughout all three counties. Volunteers support teachers by working with students in groups or individually to practice reading and comprehension skills. Students gain confidence by practicing with a volunteer and become more self-assured readers.
Marion Silver, RSVP’s America Reads program coordinator, relayed, “We’re doing what we can to promote literacy early in a child’s life to change the current national statistic of one in four children in America growing up without having learned to read well.”
Marianne Miller started in the program this past year. As a professional swimming coach, she was accustomed to working with children. Reading has always been a big part of her life.
“I chose this program so that I could help to instill a love of reading to the children who need a little extra help,” she said. “I try to make the sessions fun for the students. You might find us sitting on a beach towel while we read.”
In crowded classrooms, teachers work to stay on track to present lesson plans and often don’t have the time to work individually with struggling students. This is when reading tutors and classroom aides can save the day.
“The most memorable moment for me was when one of the students I had been working with stopped pointing to and reading words to reading sentences and understanding what he was reading. We were both so excited,” Miller continued.
In an annual survey conducted by RSVP, teachers commented on the impact reading coaches had on their students:
• Students become more confident readers and more interested in books.
• Every student wants a turn with the volunteer. We’ve even seen attendance improve.
• We see an increase in the students’ self-esteem and confidence, not only as readers, but in their overall academic performance.
Volunteers are always needed to visit classrooms and support reading in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
If you would like to support student success by becoming a reading coach, RSVP has several upcoming workshops planned: Aug. 15 and Sept. 14 in its King of Prussia headquarters and Aug. 24 in Media. To learn more or to register, contact Marguerite Cunning at 610-834-1040 ext. 123 or volunteer123@ rsvpmc.org. To learn more about RSVP, visit www.rsvpmc.org.