Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Chamber Helping Children Read

By Rory McClannahan
Journal Staff Writer
    Being able to read is essential to getting along in the world.
    And the earlier children learn to read, the better their chances of becoming a success. That's why the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce started the Albuquerque Reads literacy program to help kindergartners in three Albuquerque schools learn to read.
    The three schools are Wherry Elementary on Kirtland Air Force Base, Bel-Air Elementary in the Northeast Heights and Atrisco Elementary in the South Valley.
    About 520 chamber members volunteered to tutor the kids, but more are needed, said Michael Gaylor, senior director for leadership at the chamber.
    "We're actually looking to recruit 800 tutors for next school year," he said.
    In the two years since the program started, kindergartners at the three schools who were reading when they entered the first grade increased from 3 percent to 84 percent.
    And that success came about even though there were fewer tutors than was ideal, Gaylor said.
    He said the tutors were divided into teams of four, with one member of the team visiting the assigned class once a week. That way, team members only had to visit a school once a month. The tutors were spread thin among the students. With more tutors, more children can get one-on-one attention, Gaylor said.
    "Some tutors had a hard time getting away from work for several hours to go to the schools," he said.
    Although being a tutor doesn't pay, the rewards are endless, Gaylor said. Not only are you giving children a leg up in the business world, you are also giving back to the community, he said.
    Gaylor said the chamber sponsors a half-day course to teach people how to tutor in reading.
    For more information on the program or to become a tutor, contact Gaylor at 764-3770 or Devona Valdez at 764-3736.