BIG DoG: Volunteers help elementary students become better readers

In its fourth year in the Sacramento area, Reading Partners worked with more than 500 students at 11 schools. Tutors, through a structured curriculum designed for each student, helped elementary school children bring their reading level in line with their grade level.

Reading Partners hopes to increase the percentage of students reading at or above grade level — in Sacramento County that rate is only 45 percent.

The reading program is part of the BIG Day of Giving (BIG DoG) event on Tuesday, May 6. During BIG DoG, donations made to Reading Partners and other nearly 400 Sacramento area non-profit organizations will get a boost from a pool of $300,000 in matching donations.

Through donations and volunteers, the tutoring program hopes to expand to more schools and reach more students like Lydia.The elementary school student needed to improve her reading speed, pronunciation and comprehension. Her tutor Nancy made tutor sessions fun by rewarding Lydia with mini-stickers as she finished assignments.

By the end of the year, Lydia was a stronger reader. Her improved comprehension skills make her eager to read not just the words on the page, but the story.

“It’s so exciting to see the progress in Lydia,” Nancy told Reading Partners. “She’s a good reader and a fast learner besides being a sweetheart.”

During BIG DoG, donations to Reading Partners will help expand and support the tutoring program. You can support Reading Partners at https://bigdayofgiving.org/#npo/reading-partners

Learn more about Reading Partners at https://staging.readingpartners.org/sacramento/about/

News10 is supporting the Big Day of Giving by providing information about the local non-profits participating in the one day fundraising event on May 6.

Source / ABC News 10 / May 5, 2014