Students engage local school kids
By JORDAN CAMPBELL
Signal Writer
For college students, reading and basic math are two simple subjects. Students can read with ease and compute simple math equations almost subconsciously. However, it was not always this way. In order to be accepted into college, each student had to master incremental steps along the way. A key factor in graduating elementary school is conquering math and reading. Today, students are helping children in the community achieve these basic skills.
America Reads/America Counts is a program directed by Dr. Jan Bass, public school coordinator for the Elrod Center, and it allows students to tutor first and third graders at Perritt Primary and Central Elementary in a one-on-one setting.
“The purpose is to encourage a love for reading,” said Natalie Holmes, a senior early childhood education major. “Tutors work to help students with their vocabulary, fluency, phonics phonemic awareness and comprehension. Tutors also desire to build relationships with the students and help them have a positive role model.”
The America Counts program currently has eight students who are tutoring 16 elementary school children. America Reads has 10 tutors mentoring 17 elementary students. The students participate in three 30 minute sessions each week through the semester.
“Tutors plan mini-lessons to work on with the kids,” said Casie Neal, a senior early childhood education major. “We identify areas that students need work, like counting money, telling time, reading words with silent e’s, etc. Tutors try to make lessons creative and fun so the students want to learn. The students love it. My two tutees were always excited to see me when I came to tutor them.”
Students involved in this program do it as a work study job. Applicants receive 20 hours of training the semester before they begin to tutor.
“The most intensive preparation is during training in early fall, but each week, tutors spend at least an hour developing lesson plans for their tutoring sessions,” Bass said. “America Reads tutors use leveled readers, phonemic awareness activities, writing and also give the children Scholastic books which they can keep and take home. America Counts tutors assist with skills that third graders are currently learning in math. They have math-related materials, and during spring semester, they also give the children Scholastic books which are math-related.”
College students who participate in this program do so because of the many rewards it offers. Some of benefits of working with America Reads/America Counts are that it counts as volunteer time, it makes a positive impact on the community and it poses a challenge.
“Sometimes the kids get discouraged and want to give up, and that can be frustrating,” Neal said. “But you have to keep pushing them and telling them they’re capable of reaching their goals.”
Students say one of the most rewarding parts of this program is seeing a child finally understand a difficult concept and knowing they helped make this happen.
“My favorite moments when I was an America Reads tutor were when I would walk in the door and [the children I tutored] would stand up and ask, ‘is it my turn; is it my turn?”’ Holmes said. “They were so eager to spend time with me and read for me. I always look forward to seeing them in the schools when I am doing field experience for my education classes. As an America Counts tutor, my favorite moments are when [the child I tutor] lights up and says, ‘I get it; I get it.’ He says it over and over. It’s exciting to be teaching things to him that are meaningful and useful.”
The elementary students are selected for the program based on low test scores. Recently, the elementary teachers have began to measure the success of America Reads/ America Counts by giving tests to students at the beginning and end of each semester they are tutored.
“I observe the tutoring sessions for each child approximately three times each semester,” Bass said. “One of my favorite moments was last year when a first grade boy who had said, ‘I hate reading’ during my first fall observation had made huge progress, and during my final visit at the end of spring semester, he said, ‘I love reading.’ That example sums up what we hope to see with eachchild.”
There are ample work study opportunities, and America Reads/America Counts is a job that is set up to help serve children and the community.
“It’s important to get out of the bubble,” Neal said. “Arkadelphia’s kids need good role models who will push them toward academic excellence. It’s a good work study job because the hours are fairly flexible and you make more per hour than regular workstudy.”
For more information about America Reads/America Counts, contact Jan Bass at bassj@obu.edu.
