Now in its ninth year, the Literacy Coalition’s Building Better Readers program has expanded to serve 416 students in 28 schools and after school throughout Palm Beach County. Still grappling with the educational impacts of the pandemic, the schools and children are so grateful for the extra support of the Literacy Coalition’s trained volunteer tutors. Every child in the program is paired one-on-one with a tutor, meeting twice a week in the classroom or once a week after school, for the entire school year. As a result of the additional instruction and perhaps most importantly, the supportive relationship with a caring adult, the children are thriving. Their skills have increased and their confidence is soaring.
At New Horizons Elementary in Wellington, volunteer Sheila worked with three struggling readers who started the year reading below grade level, hesitant and self-conscious in their reading. At year’s end, Sheila shared, “As we got to know each other and spent more one-on-one time together, I could see their skills, self-confidence and pride in accomplishment grow. Through stories about mice, dinosaurs, pet flies, losing teeth and more, they discovered that reading can be fun. At school year’s end, all three had turned seven, grown some inches, lost at least one tooth, and were reading at or beyond grade level.”
At Westward Elementary in West Palm Beach, volunteer Bettina shared that one of her second-grade students progressed from a kindergarten reading level to reading at grade level in just five months. Bettina says of her tutoring, “It’s the best part of my week.”
Kara, who tutors students in the program on Zoom after school, shared that Kyler made the A/B honor roll for the first time and another student is now proudly reading chapter books. These successes are just a few examples of the impact of the program on children across the County.
