Small breakthroughs make big progress

Madie Carlson is a sophomore at SPU studying elementary education. Since beginning at SPU, she sought to volunteer with children, but couldn’t find an opportunity that fit with her busy schedule. Then she found Reading Partners!

Madie has been enjoying every minute of her time with her student since she started volunteering. When asked about remarkable moments with her student, Maite, Madie comments,

I have had many special student moments all involving my student realizing that she can read and that she is getting better.

With enthusiasm, Madie describes how Maite’s confidence has transformed, “Every time my student and I do the fluency portion of the lesson, my student sets a goal for herself and she gets so excited when we chart her improvement and she works so hard every time to reach her goal. In the beginning it was a struggle to get her to do repeated readings, but now I have to tell her when to stop.”

As a result of Madie’s efforts, Maite has seen significant growth! Recently, her teacher said that Maite was able to tell her all the long vowel sounds and exclaimed that she learned this from Madie and Reading Partners! For Maite, Madie’s passion, initiative, and drive have made her a tremendous support.