Reading and Tutoring at Georgetown East Elementary School
“It is very rewarding seeing students progress from a reluctant to a confident reader,” says AL Chesapeake member Linda LaCroix.
If you could have a sneak peek into Mrs. Brown’s classroom on a sunny school morning, you would see children sitting with their personal tutors, immersed in books they enjoy. These are children who may not have many books of their own and so need a little help along the path to being a happy reader. “S” looks forward to meeting her Assistance League reading tutor every week. Her tutor, Harriet Underwood, helps “S” choose a book to read and sits down with her in a cozy corner of the classroom. All around them, students are working on assignments, alone or with their teacher.
Assistance League tutors are united in their love of reading and of children, and have boundless energy and patience. Learning to read is the focus of Project Literacy, part of Operation School Bell®, a capstone program of Assistance League. Students at Georgetown East Elementary School in Annapolis are tutored by enthusiastic Assistance League members who serve as classroom aides, tutors and guest readers. Some also help shelve books in the media centers. Under Project Literacy, our chapter donates books to students and also sponsors literacy-based enrichment programs, like the pen pal activity.
Assistance League of the Chesapeake has been sending members to Georgetown East elementary School for a number of years. Members work one-on-one with students starting in mid-October and going until late May, providing valuable personalized attention. “It is very rewarding seeing students progress from a reluctant to a confident reader,” says AL Chesapeake member Linda LaCroix.
Teachers at the school choose the students who need extra, individualized attention to bring their reading skills up to grade level. These teachers provide directions, materials and goals to the tutors. Tutoring involves reading with students, having them read to the tutor, or reading together in a choral format. Tutors, who are usually assigned to the same child or group throughout the year, also help students with assignments they have missed.
Assistance League volunteers are patient, enthusiastic and make learning fun. They encourage students to ask questions, while offering encouragement and praise. As Assistance League volunteer Maureen Smith says, “How exciting it is when you’ve explained something to a child and he/she says, ‘Oh! Now I get it!’ ”
Assistance League of the Chesapeake is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults through community-based philanthropic programs.
