It’s Monday morning and I’m ready for my first Read On! session of the week. In a few minutes I’ll hear a student reading, words of encouragement and support from a volunteer tutor, and laughter all while the tune from Tutoring with the Lightning Squad (by the Success for All Foundation) plays in the background.
Backing up a little bit, 916 Ink launched Read On! in September 2020 to help close the reading gap and curb student learning loss exacerbated by the pandemic. Since launching in the fall, the program has served 11 students at 2 schools and conducted 150 tutoring sessions with an average attendance rate of 90%. This has translated to students decreasing their reading gaps; a few of the students are very close to reading at grade level. The growth we are seeing with students isn’t just at Read On! Teachers are seeing it in the classroom and families are seeing it at home too. One parent shared, "I really appreciate the help given to my child for her to have more fluent and better reading."
At the heart of the program are the Read On! volunteer tutors and the time/energy they dedicate each week to meet with their students. Not only are the volunteers helping their students develop reading skills, they are supporting each student’s social-emotional needs/learning. Every student-tutor relationship begins with a “Get to Know You” lesson where the student and tutor complete relationship building activities - including a creative writing activity à la “Choose Your Own Adventure.” Students and tutors get other structured relationship building opportunities like responding to monthly creative writing prompts. This past month student-tutor pairs wrote stories about the day in the life of a snowman and trips to the North Pole.
The relationship building doesn’t stop there. Students and tutors are encouraged to take the first few minutes of every session and check in with one another about how their day/week has been or if there is anything new to report. This time is crucial for setting the tone of the lesson. The end of a session ends much in the same way as it began, but this time checking in with how the student felt about the lesson including the student’s thoughts on accomplishments, things they are proud of, and areas of growth. Some students will also take this time to tell jokes, share stories, or even show off things they are proud of (during the holidays students were very excited to show off their Christmas trees). It is these beginning/ending session moments where a student can really feel seen and heard by their tutor - this other caring adult in their life.
While Read On! is still in its pilot phase (thanks to the incredible support of the Arata Brothers Trust, with additional support from Social Venture Partners), the program has plenty of room to grow and develop. Frankly some days feel far from perfect because they are plagued by tech challenges. However, I cannot help but be astonished with what Read On! has become and able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. None of this would be possible of course without support of the amazing funders, community volunteers, partner schools, families, and the 916 Ink staff. I cannot wait to see the continued impact Read On! will have on its participating students, schools, and communities.
