Literacy outreach builds fluency, confidence
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BY JODI FUSON / Lincoln Journal Star
When Vicki Woodburn began reading with him last fall, Zodell Johnson doubted his ability.
And he wasn’t afraid to tell his tutor.
“I can’t read,” the first-grader would say. “I can’t do this.”
Book buddy (no training needed), listen to kids read books they select during personal reading time.
Tutor (1 1/2 hours of training); time commitment: a minimum of 40 minutes, once a week for nine weeks.
Who: 16 and up
Where: MiddleCross Church, 2820 O St.
When: weekdays after school
Contact: City Impact, 477-8080.
Last week, seated next to Woodburn in the MiddleCross Church sanctuary at 2820 O St., his excitement bubbled over as he read aloud from his binder. Zodell proudly pronounced the word potatoes after reading the same section a few times to get it down.
Woodburn — one of more than 120 volunteers for the Impact Learning Center program — helped him focus on each letter and sound to make sure he didn’t miss anything.
“I think he feels like he’s accomplishing things,” Woodburn said. “I haven’t heard him say ‘I can’t’ for a long time.”
City Impact, a ministry that works with youths and families in Lincoln’s urban neighborhoods, started the literacy-based after-school program a little over a year ago for students in grades 1through 5.
Students meet every day after school for two 40-minute sessions, which include individual tutoring, group activities and personal reading for enjoyment.
Since last fall, 32 students have entered the Impact Learning Center program, and many have seen gains of a grade level or two. Eleven students who have completed three quarters at the center improved an average of three grade levels in reading.
The program focuses on high-frequency sight words, reading short stories, answering reading comprehension questions and engaging in literature-based, hands-on activities.
Ashley Larson, who serves as director of the program’s third- through fifth-grade Read Education and Listen Room that Zodell is enrolled in, said research shows when kids improve their reading scores, their behavior and attitude improves, too.
“That’s something I’ve read and something I’ve seen here at City Impact,” the Nebraska Wesleyan graduate said.
Last quarter, Larson read “The Chronicles of Narnia” to her students to spur their imaginations as they did literature-based activities during the Read Room portion of the program. Students also have time to read for fun in a relaxed setting and to discuss books and themes.
The program employs the Carbo curriculum, which emphasizes repetitive, perfect reading. Students listen to a short story on a CD or have their tutor read it to them three times. Close attention is paid to pronunciation, punctuation and expression.
“It’s fluency, as much as building vocabulary,” said Todd Bowman, youth program director for City Impact.
Students also learn attack strategies for words they don’t know, such as breaking the word into syllables and sounding out letters, Bowman said.
After the student has listened to the story three times, they try reading it on their own. If they stumble, the tutor will step in and help them until they can read it fluently.
Each story is a bit more complex than the last, and every 15 stories that students master equal about one grade level.
Miriam Heider, tutoring coordinator and test administrator, said she places students one-half reading grade level above where they test to challenge them.
Students are tested when they enter the program and at the end of each quarter to monitor progress. The ultimate goal: cycle students in and out as they reach their grade reading level, Bowman said.
City Impact representatiaves have met with Lincoln elementary principals to discuss moving the Impact Learning Center into after-school programs. So far, school officials have seemed receptive to the idea, Bowman said.
“Our desire is to partner with schools, to have a direct relationship,” he said.
To expand the program, they’ll need lots of volunteers, such as Woodburn — a retired hearing impaired teacher — and Sally Shroer, who has no teaching background.
Shroer volunteered to tutor because she feels fortunate to have parents who helped her with her homework and read to her.
“I think this is a great practical way to help, something that is needed and helps to improve these kids’ lives and helps our society overall,” Shroer said.
Woodburn said City Impact staff are very supportive of volunteers, who in turn do their best to lift students’ morale.
“I think the one-on-one aspect does tremendous things for kids, just the relationship with the volunteer and how it affects their confidence,” Heider said.
Zodell is one example of a student who has experienced a boost in his confidence.
But he’s not alone.
As he and Woodburn continued their tutoring session last week, other tutors could be heard offering words of encouragement to students.
“Let’s try to find that.”
“There you go!”
“Yes!”
Reach Jodi Fuson at 473-7211 or homeroom@journalstar.com.
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