More Latino elementary students are falling behind in reading and comprehension skills.
According to the San Francisco Unified School District’s results from the 2010 STAR Test—a standardized reading assessment—about a quarter of Latino students in both second and third grade are reading below basic level.
Reading Partners is a one-on-one tutoring program, available at 60 schools in the Bay Area, which provides elementary students with the help they need to get back on track.
Reading Partners’ Chief Operating Officer Matt Aguiar said that the STAR figures concerning third graders are especially troubling because of how vital reading is to learning at that age.
“Different studies show different grade levels being difficult. A lot of attention is focused on third grade,” he said. “Up until then, the student is learning to read, but once you get to third grade you are reading to learn. Teachers expect the student to do the reading on their own.”
Volunteer tutors establish a personal relationship with the student that can help bring up their confidence and appreciation for books, which Aguiar said is very important to instilling an appreciation for reading.
“A lot of students are reading below grade level,” he said. “It is really difficult, with schools facing budget cuts (…) once a student starts to fall behind it is hard for them to catch up.”
Aguiar and Reading Partners see different students face different challenges. Some students come into the program already used to lagging behind their peers and Latino students often face a language barrier.
“It is especially hard for them if they grew up as Spanish being their primary language. One problem is vocabulary,” Aguiar said. “They might see a word in English and know how to pronounce it in Spanish, but cannot pronounce it in English; they can talk all day about the meaning of the word in English and Spanish, but it’s the pronunciation that can be a problem.”
Tutors work with the student for about five hours a week, but Reading Partners puts a high premium on supportive families as a resource for struggling students.
San Francisco/Marin Outreach Coordinator Glennis Coursey believes family involvement in exposing young students to reading can increase the child’s excitement for books.
“It is important for families to incorporate reading time every night – [to] spend time outside the school day to do some reading,” Coursey said. “Instead of watching TV or playing video games one night, have your child read to you or read to them. Once you notice that your child reading skills are improving, tell them you feel so proud of them.”
So the advice from Reading Partners, as the summer comes to an end, is open up a book and enjoy some family reading time!