At Reading Seed, we spend a lot of time talking about how amazing our volunteers are and marveling at the incredible passion and dedication they bring to their volunteer work with students. Reading Coaches volunteer for a minimum of one hour per week (many coaches do more!) during the school day to work with two different elementary students who are reading below grade level and could benefit from one-on-one attention from a caring adult.
The list of qualities that make our coaches wonderful is long.
Reading Seed Coaches come from all walks of life with diverse experiences and ideas to share with their students. Now, because of our Professional Development workshops and our Volunteer Spotlight, they can share ideas with each other as well. We know that coaches have the best advice for each other because they are the ones implementing the strategies we give them with their students each week and tailoring them to each student’s needs or developing new strategies when met with a specific challenge.
The majority of a Reading Seed coaching session is spent reading books together and engaging students in conversation. All children benefit immensely from hearing and reading books aloud with a caring adult, and for some of our students, that time, attention and practice is all it takes to become a reader. Many of our coaches go above and beyond with more elaborate ways to engage their students, but just spending one-on-one time with a struggling student makes a significant difference in a child’s perception of reading and school.
I love to see the first graders “get it” usually by the holiday season. These are often children that have NOT learned their sight words and haven’t felt much success in their reading. By providing the one-on-one help, it is glorious to see them catch up and achieve. Nothing is more satisfying to me than to be out shopping and have a former student run up to me with comments like, “Miss Howdy, Miss Howdy, I’m reading a chapter book.” They are beaming and my heart is aglow. -Dearwyn, Reading Seed Coach since 2008
We are sometimes asked why we call our volunteers “coaches” instead of “tutors,” and it’s because although our coaches do provide some direct instruction on necessary literacy skills, their ultimate goal is to encourage and guide their students to become independent, engaged readers who are excited about learning. Our coaches help create readers who are able to “read” successfully for required purposes and succeed in school, but who also have a love of reading that enriches their lives outside of school or work.
Reading Coaches do the same thing that other coaches do. They are in the student’s corner rooting for them and offering support, comfort and inspiration when necessary.
Please visit our Coach’s Corner to meet some of our coaches who have shared their stories and wisdom.
Thank you to all of our current and past (and future!) volunteers who have answered the call to help students learn to read so they can read to learn and to help ensure students have a world of opportunities ahead of them. You are not only making a difference in a student’s life, but in the lives of everyone that student will touch.
If you have one hour per week, or know someone who does, and care about the future opportunities of children in Pima County, please consider becoming a Reading Seed Coach. Click here for more information.
