Introduction to "Let's Read!"
In 1999, Shelley Bennack McCullough, then SAYL's executive director, conceived and implemented the "Let's Read!" program to foster strong literacy skills in elementary-aged children who are struggling with reading. The mission of "Let's Read!" is to promote the literacy skills of San Antonio's at-risk youth. Volunteer Reading Tutors work one-on-one with students
who are reading below grade level.
During the summer of 2003 SAYL, in consultation with a reading specialist, revised and improved the "Let's Read!" curriculum. Through this collaboration, "Let's Read!" took another step in becoming a premier youth literacy program. One of the many improvements in the program is the addition of a reading grade level assessment. The assessment allows SAYL to accurately pinpoint the students most in need of tutoring. The current program will help achieve the "Let's Read!" program goals: To provide opportunities for guided reading practice with a caring individual, to foster an enjoyment of reading, and to enhance motivation and self-esteem of at-risk children through the experience of reading.
The "Let's Read!" program trains community members as Volunteer Reading Tutors to work one-on-one with students in need of reading instruction.
|
