Help a struggling first and second grade reader. Become a volunteer literacy tutor!

 
(SAPULPA, OK – June 30, 2015) According to a May 16, 2015 article in the Tulsa World, a slight improvement was seen in Oklahoma third-grade reading test scores.
Of the more than 50,000 students tested, 14.6 percent – or about 7,300 students – scored “unsatisfactory.”

 
Last year, about 16 percent of students – nearly 7,900 third-graders – received an “unsatisfactory” score.

 
Creek County Literacy Program collaborates with area elementary schools by providing tutoring to struggling readers. Caring Grands assist educators in increasing students’ reading abilities, promote academic success and prepare for future standardized assessments.

 
To become a Caring Grand tutor, one must attend CCLP’s free Tutor Training workshop and successfully pass a background check. Knowledge of another language is not necessary and no prior teaching experience is required. This workshop will be held Thursday, August 6, 2015 from 9am to 2pm at the Library Annex, 15 North Poplar Street in Sapulpa. Lunch is provided.
Caring Grands tutor one-on-one with first and second graders who struggle in reading, equipping them with the tools to become successful readers before entering third grade. Caring Grands meet with their students for one-on-one tutoring 30 minutes weekly during the school year. Caring Grands assist educators in increasing students’ reading abilities, promote academic success and prepare for future standardized assessments, such as the third grade reading test.

 
“Our Caring Grands are as young as 30 and as ‘grand’ as 85,” shared Melissa Struttmann, Executive Director for Creek County Literacy Program. “There is no age or background requirement to tutor, just a desire to help a child succeed in school,” she continued.

 
The presenter, Donna Hall, received her Master’s in Reading from Northeastern State University and is a Certified Reading Specialist. She is also a National Board certified teacher in Early Childhood Education. Donna has taught in the elementary school setting for 19 years, currently teaching second grade at Edison Elementary School in Bristow. For two years she served as a REAC3H Instructional Coach, providing training and assistance to 14 school districts. Donna has also completed the requirements to present innovative strategies for Oklahoma literacy instruction as an Open Minds trainer, sponsored by the Literacy Resource Office of Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

 

About Creek County Literacy Program

 
Creek County Literacy Program’s primary emphasis is youth and adult literacy. 136 first and second grade struggling readers tutor one-on-one with 58 senior citizen volunteers weekly through the Caring Grands program. In 2014, CCLP educated more than 2,400 adults and distributed more than 3,000 free children’s books.