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TOOELE — Two Tooele kindergarten teachers reached a milestone before Christmas they've never seen in their careers. Nearly every student learned their letters and sounds before the break.
And in the life of a 6-year-old, that is b-i-g!
"I've seen some schools where they've taken the whole year to learn the alphabet," said teacher Cindy Middleton. "They get so excited! And you can see the light bulb go on, and say, ‘I can read.' "
Even Overlake Elementary Principal Jonathan Marble was caught off guard to hear that up to 100 percent of the kindergarten classes were starting sight words.
"From there, I didn't think anything of it until after when they showed me the results. And they were really huge results," he said. "My fifth and sixth grade teachers are excited because that means, as years come along, kids will be ready reading and then can go on to science and history."
Educators give much of the credit to KSL's Read Today tutoring program. AmeriCorps partners readers with volunteer tutors in more than 120 Utah schools. But at Overland Elementary, many of the kindergarten tutors are third and fourth grade fellow students.
Nearly every day, older kids read books, practice flashcards and mentor their younger peers.
"They help me read words," kindergartner William Rawlings proudly proclaimed.
"They love it, they absolutely love it," said teacher Stacie Barker. "They are a positive role model for the kids."
The older children benefit from the extra reading and the chance to serve.
"I feel great. I like helping people a lot," said Tutor Elishka Johnson. The direct impact on their reading skills will be measured in the coming weeks with the statewide Dibels test.
With the New Year, teachers are moving on to sight words and reading. They say, letters and sounds may sound like a small accomplishment, but it can help ensure these kids' success.
"You have to do those small steps," said Middleton, "and once they know that and have a fairly strong foundation, then they can just take off from there."
