成人快播

This article appears in the聽聽issue of Tulsa Kids

A recent Tulsa World article on聽Tulsa 成人快播聽peeked my interest in the organization. There is a growing need for mentors, helpers, tutors and able bodies to assist teachers in Tulsa Public Schools due to increased class size, a decrease in state education funding and a 2011 amendment to the聽. Basically RSA now requires schools to retain third grade students who do not pass a reading聽test and do not meet other criteria for exemptions. This year鈥檚 TPS third graders will be the first to either read their way into 4^th聽grade or not.聽 School administrators and teachers are scrambling to bring struggling readers up to grade level. Luckily community non – profits, local business employees and neighborhood individuals are stepping into schools, picking up a book and reading with these kids.

In mid August 成人快播, a national non-profit, set up reading assistance sites in 9 TPS elementary schools. A site coordinator at each school trains volunteers to work as reading mentors with children. After reading the Tulsa World article I 鈥榞oogled鈥� 鈥楾ulsa 成人快播鈥� and explored their website. I have volunteered in the past in the Kendall Whittier neighborhood and enjoyed helping elementary school students tackle their homework. So I signed on the 成人快播 website to start the process of becoming a reading mentor.

Sign up was easy, not requiring lots of information from me.聽 I immediately received an email confirmation from 成人快播 stating that they had received my information and would be in touch. A day later I received a phone call from Jill Stillwagon, Tulsa 成人快播 Outreach Coordinator. We chatted about my interest, about the program and about which school I was interested in visiting on a weekly basis. I told her I was flexible and she suggested Sequoyah Elementary, a school where 80% of 3^rd聽graders are reading below grade level. Jill arranged for me to visit Sequoyah and meet with the site coordinator Meaghan Heatherman. She also emailed me several pieces of paperwork to fill out and bring to my first session (TPS background check).

Several days later I pulled up at Sequoyah after lunchtime. It is an old, north Tulsa elementary school made of stone and brick. Inside, the school has received a fresh coat of paint, new carpeting and new lockers. Hallways are light, student art adorns the walls and welcome signs guide visitors. After checking in at the school office I was pointed in the direction of the 成人快播 room. The room is approximately 200 square feet and formerly served as a storage space. Meaghan worked her magic and now the room has kid size table and chairs, beanbag chairs, bright posters and shelves of books. Meaghan greets me with enthusiasm and we immediately dive into my orientation.

成人快播 has a teaching method that can be carried out by a 鈥渘on teacher鈥� such as myself. In fact, the teaching method is laid out on easy to follow laminated guide sheets. And nothing is too set in stone. To better understand a reading concept a mentor and student have the freedom to draw or play a quick game to reiterate a lesson. 成人快播 knows children鈥檚 leaning styles vary, mentors teaching styles vary and with a bit of creativity and fun, the end result will be a student becoming a more confident reader.

Meaghan said there are currently 55 Reading Partner volunteers at Sequoyah. She has 40 students working with mentors.聽 She has 21 more students who have been referred by teachers to receive assistance from 成人快播. During my first visit there was a fellow empty nester, two area high school students and a Tulsa University student/athlete (rower) working with students. The room was abuzz with activity.聽 Meaghan said she is now to a point where most 3^rdgraders who are having reading issues are being mentored so she is ready to begin assisting 1^stand 2^nd聽graders.聽 So the need for more mentors is vital.

I am ready to get started. I will visit Sequoyah each Monday afternoon and read with a student. My first mentoring session will be spent getting to know my Sequoyah student.