Wednesday, October 17, 2001
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Wednesday, October 17, 2001 |
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Reading tutors ready to help students at North Fayette Elem. More volunteers needed throughout Fayette
North Fayette Elementary School is helping students become better readers by pairing them with reading tutors. With the help of the Fayette County Community Literacy program and its coordinator, Donna Worcerster, the school has set up a reading tutor program. The program seeks volunteers from the community who are willing to commit one hour of their time each week to helping students improve their reading skills. Tutoring takes place at the school on a one-on-one basis. According to Worcerster, 12 new volunteers at North Fayette have just completed the two and a half-hour training session required to prepare tutors for working with students. The school's reading tutor program is currently in its second year. Last year, volunteers helped 22 students become stronger readers and this year the goal is to help even more. Recently, parents and community volunteers came together at North Fayette to learn more about becoming reading tutors. The school hosts several workshops throughout the year to give parents and community volunteers an opportunity to learn how the program works. Although the school has 12 new tutors for this academic year, the reading tutor program is still actively recruiting more volunteers for North Fayette as well as for other elementary and middle schools within the Fayette County School System. Becoming a tutor requires a one-year commitment to work with a student for one hour each week at his or her school. Tutors must successfully pass a background check and attend a two and a half-hour training session before they can begin working with students. The training session teaches volunteers what they can do to help a student who is struggling to become a better reader. "Tutors do not need any type of previous teaching experience. All they need to be are caring and willing individuals who have time to invest in a worthwhile endeavor to help children," said Worcerster. "If I had 100 folks volunteer today, I could pair each one of them with a child who needs help." Anyone interested in becoming a tutor can phone Worcerster at 770-460-3535, ext. 173.
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