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CEDAR CITY — A school in Cedar City has found a way to help struggling readers and aspiring teachers.
Chopper 5 recently got a rousing welcome to what we thought was just the year-end celebration for their reading tutors program. What we found was an approach we had to share.
All year long, a few dozen students at Iron Springs Elementary School have to school early to read with their tutors — it's that important.
"If you don't have reading, you couldn't do jobs or have insurance; because before you have insurance you have to fill out all that stuff," said 7-year-old Xander MacNaughtan, a student at Iron Springs Elementary.
The students are paired with elementary education majors from Southern Utah University. By tutoring the kids, these college students gain future job skills.
"I've learned a lot," said tutor Jamie Hulet. "Besides seeing her development as a reader, I've learned a lot. I've learned about the assessment in reading."
They also celebrate progress.
"Now he's learned to slow down and to think about his reading, and to think about if it makes sense," said Bridget Varner, also a tutor from SUU.
Another sign of success: A student who had progressed out of the program was so eager to stay she offered to miss recess to read.
"Recess doesn't really matter to me," 8-year-old Aubrey Yardley said. "Reading matters to me more."
Teachers and administrators are celebrating because these sessions add up to as much as 100 extra hours of reading a year, which equals nearly 14 extra days of school.
"As a teacher, you can't always give the attention that you'd love to, so this has been a real help," said Stacy Hurst, a teacher at Iron Springs Elementary.
"The whole idea of being able to have that one-on-one (time), and being able to meet each student's needs makes a huge impact," said Iron Springs Principal Jane Whittle.
If you'd like more information on volunteer tutoring programs at your school, go to readtoday.com. Also, it's not too late to qualify for our latest reading challenge: The top 100 readers get a free book from Deseret Book.
Email: dwimmer@ksl.com
