Fifth grader Kamden looks cozy on a bean bag chair, lounging next to his third grade buddy as they read to each other from Stinky, a book about a loveable monster. It’s after school on a Tuesday, and Montclair Elementary School’s Reading Enrichment Program is in full swing.
Forty students from second through fifth grades are spread out at tables, on pillows and in nooks working with teachers and fifth grade mentors — practicing reading comprehension, making connections with their schoolmates, and finding their passion for reading.
“When we came back from distance learning, we saw a lot of younger students lacking the phonics skills they need,” says Montclair’s principal, Sean Leverty. “Some students had either given up on reading or didn’t see the possibilities or incentives of reading. Our goal is to elicit a love of reading, so they want to pick up a book. Then they can apply their reading skills to math and science and other subjects, and have a higher rate of success across the board.”
The Reading Enrichment Program focuses on helping students get comfortable reading and practicing the skills necessary to expand their reading capabilities and capacity. By meeting after school, students get extra one-on-one time with a reading teacher; and fifth grade students are also trained as reading mentors for younger students. “We’re zeroing in on the reading skills each student needs, not what the whole class is doing — it’s personalized,” Leverty explains.
The fifth grade mentors is a new component this year, one that Leverty says is such a success, it’s going to remain a core element in the future. It gives students like Kamden, who participated as a second grader, the opportunity to see their own progress when they return to the program as an experienced reader and serve as a role model for younger students. As a result, Kamden continues to improve his own reading and gains confidence that he brings back to his classwork.
“I like helping the other kids read, and it helps me become a more fluent reader,” says Kamden. “I’ve seen some new graphic novels when I’m reading with them, which is great since I love graphic novels. I’m glad kids get options and can read what they like.”
Beaverton Education Foundation’s Kids Count Grant to the Reading Enrichment Program funds additional school buses to take students home after regular dismissal time, as well as covers costs related to teachers, snacks and books. When the program wraps up before summer, students will take home books to start their at-home libraries.
“Montclair’s Reading Enrichment Program is a wonderful crossover between our reading and writing and after school initiatives,” says Kristine Baggett, BEF’s executive director, who visited the program in May. “We’re exploring a small group of elementary-level after school reading programs, like this one at Montclair, as pilots for a broader initiative to reach more students, as we first did with Camp Achieve and Safe and Sound 4 Student Success Program (S4).”