Mount Vernon School District Launches 'Amazing Readers' Tutoring Project

From Mount Vernon City School District: Studies show that children must recognize that letters represent sounds and can blend to form words in order to learn how to read. Teaching this foundation for literacy, called the sound or phonetic code, is the goal of the “Amazing Readers” tutoring project. The project started by volunteers in 2012 is reaching struggling readers in grades one and two at Edward Williams Elementary School.

“We work on building phonetic skills at an early age with fun and engaging games,” said Amazing Readers Founder Jennet Walker. “Most of our students progress rapidly in the classroom once they master the sound code and can blend, segment, and manipulate sounds aloud and in writing.”

Amazing Readers volunteers are trained to teach phonics systemically so that children can progress quickly. Students are given reading and spelling exercises and decodable books with only sounds they know so they can experience success. The program uses donated books and a training room at the Mount Vernon Public Library. Children are tutored one on one for 35minutes twice a week during the school day. Since 2014, volunteers have tutored 57 struggling readers from Edward Williams Elementary School.

Image via Pixabay