SLD Read trains volunteers to work one-to-one with students in local schools
BATTLE CREEK AND KALAMAZOO – Fifth-grader Chondell hasn’t always been willing to read aloud in class. But in a recent theater activity, he didn’t hesitate to read the part he’d been practicing. Then he volunteered to read additional parts, sight unseen, for students who were absent.
“It’s cool to see even just that growth from a few months ago,” his teacher, Beth Murphy, said.
Chondell was in second grade at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a critical year for young readers. The pandemic compounded long-acknowledged inequities in Michigan’s education system, according to the latest State of Michigan Education Report. In fact, the state’s reading scores are now seven points lower than they were nearly 20 years ago, the report reveals.
“We know in Michigan, right now, that only 28% of fourth graders are reading proficiently,” said Kristen Potts, Executive Director of SLD Read. “That’s a crisis.”
And that’s where SLD Read’s Language Links program comes in for students like Chondell.
Language Links
Now in its 49th year, SLD Read has been a long-time United Way partner working to improve reading proficiency. With offices in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Big Rapids and Grand Rapids, SLD Read reached students, teachers and families in 18 counties last year. Language Links is a popular tutoring program that trains volunteer and paid tutors to go into the schools to work one-to-one with students for at least two hours per student each week. The two biggest participating districts are Kalamazoo Public Schools and Grand Rapids Public Schools, with developing partnerships in other districts.
Typical students in the program are 6-to-10-year-olds who haven’t been caught by earlier intervention programs, are more than six months behind in reading proficiency, and aren’t receiving special education services.
“We’re really trying to fill that gap with tutoring by making sure that students do have that one-to-one time focused on them,” Potts said.
Once a student is recommended for the program, SLD Read staff does an assessment so that the tutor knows where to start. The curriculum is rooted in the science of reading and individualized to meet each student’s specific needs, Potts said. SLD Read partners with Communities in Schools to coordinate scheduling between students, teachers and tutors, avoiding pulling kids out of lunch or recess.
“We certainly don’t want them to see tutoring as a punishment, so we rely heavily on CIS to help us with that,” Potts said. “We couldn’t do it without them.”
At Woodward School for Technology and Research, an elementary school within Kalamazoo Public Schools, roughly 10 students are currently matched up with tutors. This includes Chondell and his tutor, Kathy Hogg, who are in their third year of working together.
Principal Frank Rocco said he can see the difference it makes to the students who participate.
“Students in general love any one-to-one,” he said. “Chondell and Kathy have been working together for years, so it becomes this great partnership for them. You really get to see all of that growth.
“It’s just a huge confidence builder for all of them, and then they can bring that back to the class. We see it all the time,” Rocco added.
Hogg, who works with four different students at Woodward, began tutoring Chondell virtually when he was in third grade. She’s been with the program for five years.
“He has got a lot of grit. He does not give up,” she said.
Chondell, who is heading off to middle school next year, said the two work together on reading and writing through lessons and games. His favorite activity is Bingo.
“You beat me a couple times,” he said to Hogg. “Like three.”
“Yes, three times in three years I’ve won,” she said, laughing. “He keeps track.”
Chondell’s parents say they can see the difference the program has made, as well.
“We’re excited to see what he’s going to do in middle school,” said his father, Corey.
“I want to thank the program for their hard work and dedication, especially with Chondell for boosting his confidence in reading,” Chondell’s mother, Kamiesha, added.
Dedicated Volunteers Needed
While the pandemic took a toll on students’ reading scores and proficiency, it also introduced new capacity challenges for the Language Links program.
“We lost 50% of our tutors,” Potts said. “We simply don’t have enough people to meet the need that’s there. We know there are more students here and all throughout Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties that could use tutoring, but we don’t have the capacity.”
One challenge is finding people who can commit the time it takes to volunteer. The training process for volunteer tutors involves about 25 hours of classroom instruction, plus 10 to 15 hours in an internship, paired with an experienced tutor. SLD also provides monthly professional development and service opportunities for tutors to hone their skills.
Hogg, a retired social worker, said the volunteer process for Language Links can be intense, comes with a lot of planning work, and involves more than just simply going in and reading with kids once a week. She’s also the first to say that the work is worth every minute.
“It is a lot of prep,” she said. “It’s not for the faint of heart, but the more time I spend, the bigger my reward.”
And the program works, Potts said.
“We know it can work for everyone. It’s just a matter of figuring out how,” she said. “That one-to-one, that’s the way we do it, and it takes time. It’s intensive. We survey our families at the end of their terms, and we have such a high percentage of families who are reporting what Chondell is showing his teacher – an improved confidence level, feeling comfortable reading in front of their classmates. That’s really huge, and those are skills he’s going to take into middle school.
“We have to start thinking outside of the box,” Potts added, “doing things differently and being as efficient as possible so we can have as many Kathys in as many Woodwards across our county and our state as we can.”
If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with SLD Read, contact Andrea Tramel at atramel@sld read.org or visit https://www.sldread.org/become-a-tutor/ to fill out a form and get started.