The Indy Learning Team partners to provide access to evidence-based literacy training and instruction so students have strong literacy foundation and communities develop literacy resources. The TILT Alliance is tilting the scales for kids and communities who need access to effective literacy training and instruction.
Volunteering gives me the opportunity to give back. I have always had a passion for reading and a desire to instill confidence and the potential for success in all kids. This passion stems from my own father who was extremely dyslexic. Dad always said he “flunked” first grade. He spent his life compensating for this disability and instilling in his children, a love for learning and hard work. As I work with struggling readers I feel his legacy living on.
The impact of the reading program is evident in the literacy growth that students are achieving. The impact is also seen, though difficult to measure, in the positive relationships that I have formed with my students. Most importantly, the self confidence and self esteem that these kids feel as they are successfully reading is a wonderful and life long benefit.
I have many favorite moments with these kids, from the hugs as I arrive, to the smile on their faces as they successfully complete a task, to the comment, “Can I come with you for the rest of the day?” I truly get so much out of this whole experience!
My students are making slow but steady progress. We truly try to align what we do with each student to their individual need. Some students need help with letters and sounds while others working on blending sounds to form words. Our over arching goal for these students is to give them the knowledge that reading is all about meaning. We work with all of our students to become strategic readers and to have the ability to decide which strategy they need when they come to a tricky word. This work happens slowly, over time, so patience is what we ask of them and ourselves.