Book Buddy: A Volunteer gives kids an extra boost in reading

My heart started to pound as I pulled into the parking lot at Kelly Elementary School in southeast Portland on my first day as a reading volunteer. I was asking myself, "What am I doing here? I don’t know how to teach children to read. My degree is in graphic design, not education. I don’t even have nieces or nephews, let alone kids of my own, who might have given me some experience in relating to young children."

But I had made a commitment to the volunteer coordinator, and she was expecting me. I reminded myself what had brought me to Kelly Elementary School that day. A series of news stories about the extreme difficulties facing some of Oregon’s children, and the lack of resources available to help them, had left me asking, "Is there something I can do?" The Oregonian had published a list of volunteer opportunities, and that’s where I found out about SMART, a book and reading program for children in kindergarten through second grade.

SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) is sponsored by the Oregon Children’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed in 1991 by former governor Neil Goldschmidt and the law firm of Ater Wynne Hewitt Dodson & Skerritt. The foundation’s main focus is to increase early literacy in the belief that early reading success leads to success later in school and in life. The program, which serves students in 13 Oregon counties, focuses on schools that have 40 percent or higher participation in free and reduced-price lunch.

As I walked into the SMART reading room at Kelly that first day, my nervousness was calmed by the bright, cozy atmosphere created by comfy sofas, tables covered with books, stuffed animals, and other cheery decorations. After two years as a volunteer, I still feel a sense of well-being as I walk into that room. I imagine the kids must feel that way, too.

I was relieved to find that the activities necessary to accomplish positive results didn’t require extensive training. In fact, I soon realized that a skill I had taken for granted—being able to read—was all I needed in order to contribute something to a child’s life.

The goal of the SMART program is simple: to create a relaxed and safe environment in which children can practice their reading skills, one-on-one, with caring adults. I spend one hour each week at Kelly—half an hour with each of two students. I read with the same two students for the whole year.

I start each session by stopping by the child’s classroom and walking him or her back to the reading room. Kids in the SMART program (chosen by their teachers because they especially can benefit from extra reading practice and attention) are the envy of the class. Far from carrying a stigma, SMART is viewed as something fun, like being in a club. If the regular SMART student is absent, all the other kids eagerly vie to take her place that day.

The child chooses what she would like to read from the many new, donated books. I might read to her, or she might read to me, depending on the difficulty of the book and what she feels comfortable doing that day.

We often talk about the book and subjects that come up as we read. One day Katerina and I read Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans, a story that takes place in Paris. We got out the globe and found France. Then she wanted to find Russia, the country where she was born.

Once each month the kids get to choose a book to take home and keep. This is a way to bring books into homes where resources may be limited. Brothers and sisters can then enjoy them, too.

Each student has different abilities and challenges, which the teacher shares with the volunteer ahead of time. Lindsey, whose home life is unstable, needed to work on her basic alphabet skills. Carlos comes from a home where English is a second language. Nick, who is from a big family, was struggling with basic skills and needed a little extra personal attention.

I have been impressed by the teachers I see. But each child in the full classroom needs so much from the teacher, and teachers—no matter how talented or dedicated—can only spread themselves so thin. It’s no wonder that some of the children, especially the quiet and shy ones, don’t get all the attention they need to flourish.

Some days I feel encouraged by clear progress and growing bonds of affection with individual students. Other days, they seem bored and distracted. There have been times when I questioned my abilities. But as the weeks and then months go by, feelings of familiarity and trust grow. The students know I’ll be back the next week, and that I really care about them. Giving children the sense that they’re important, I’ve realized, is a big benefit of the tutoring program.

By the end of that first school year, Lindsey ran up and threw her arms around me whenever I came to her class to pick her up. And Carlos paid me a high compliment when he said, "You’re a great SMART reader!" My self-doubts dissolved.

I read with Nick for two years. When I first met him, he had very few reading skills, and he was extremely quiet. But gradually I learned what he liked to read: Where’s Waldo?, Dr. Seuss, pop-up books, and anything with dinosaurs. Gradually, his reading improved. Eventually, he was able to read The Cat in the Hat aloud all the way through. It took us a few weeks to complete the book, and I was amazed after each week had passed that he remembered exactly where we left off the time before. When we were done, I saw his face light up with surprise and pride when I congratulated him on reading a 60-page book from start to finish.

For the last day of the program, the volunteer coordinator organized a farewell ceremony. The tutors and their students shared punch and cake, then waved goodbye to one another with jumbo-sized bubble wands. Each student was presented with a certificate of achievement. As I walked out to my car after that first year of tutoring, I felt grateful for the opportunity to be one of the many people in my community who are trying to help kids get started in lives that I hope will be happy and successful. Come September, I’ll be back in the cozy reading room, confident that I can make a difference for a few kids.

*NOTE: Students’ names have been changed to protect their privacy. For information about SMART, call the Oregon Children’s Foundation, (503) 721-7175.

Teri Sherman Matias is a Portland graphic designer.

Volunteer Tutors

Across the country, young children are gaining a valuable new resource in learning to read. Spearheaded by two federal initiatives—the Clinton administration’s America Reads Challenge, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and the LEARNS Partnership funded by the Corporation for National Service—thousands of reading tutors are being recruited and trained through partnerships among universities, schools, and communities. Nine of the nation’s regional educational laboratories are awarding and administering grants to partnerships in their regions, as well as conducting regional training conferences. The Northwest Lab is coordinating the nationwide effort.

Early findings suggest that volunteer tutoring holds great promise for beginning readers. University pilot projects that match college work-study students with beginning readers found "gains in literacy skills of one year or more" for participating youngsters, researchers from Michigan State Univer- sity and the University of Wisconsin reported in August.

"Reading is really the key to the world," says Dr. Kay Davis, Director of the Northwest Lab’s new Community and Education Volunteer Services Center, which is coordinating a variety of training and outreach activities. For information on the center and its services, call (503) 275-9639.

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