BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) Read to Succeed Buffalo is expanding its reach. The local literacy organization has about 63 adults over the age of 50, mostly retirees, tutoring and mentoring students in Buffalo Public Schools and they are in need of more volunteers.
The program, administered by the AARP Foundation, is currently offered to nearly 200 students throughout eight Buffalo Public Schools. Executive Director Anne Ryan said the goal is to recruit 65 more volunteers and get into twelve schools.
What's required of a tutor? "All you need to be is over the age of 50,
and be available for about four hours a week," said Ryan. "We train them
and deploy them and coach them so they get all the support they need to
administer this evidence-based tutoring session."
While it is a structured program, Ryan said tutors can use their own personality and share their love of reading with students.
"Volunteers really like the program because it's not just handing you a binder
and say, here go tutor. It involves two days of pre-service training, on-site embedded support and structured evidence-based sessions."
Tutoring sessions are held during the school day. Tutors work one on one with
a student. Typically they work with about three students per day.
The program is offered for children in grades pre-K through 3rd grade.
Ryan said evidence shows that the program is working. "This program was tested nationally. It found that if a student has 35 sessions, it shows a tangible grade level improvement in their reading scores.
Ryan noted that the science of reading has exploded recently in conversations. "We've gotten away from how kids actually learn to read. Reading is not a natural thing. It truly is rocket science for these kids to learn how to read. They need certain ingredients to get to the ability to understand
that a letter represents a sound and a group of letters represent a word and a group of words represent an idea." She added, "it's not easy."
How can people volunteer and get involved? "Go to ReadToSucceedBuffalo.org or call 716-843-8895 or email Anne Ryan directly at RyanA@RTSB.org.