Literacy program needs Team Kirtland volunteers

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Most adults, whether they loved school or not, can tell you their favorite childhood story book. Many Albuquerque kindergartners have a difficult time learning to read and the Albuquerque Reads program is working to make sure they look back on reading fondly.

The Albuquerque Reads program matches volunteer tutors with kindergartners at local elementary schools. The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce partnered with Albuquerque Public Schools to create Albuquerque Reads in order to provide support and guidance to kindergartners.

During the 2006-07 school year, less than 5 percent of kindergartners were reading at grade level. By the end of the school year with the help of the Albuquerque Reads program, more than 75 percent of students were reading at grade level or above. Before the program started, only 38 percent of students were reading at or above grade level when they left kindergarten.

The Albuquerque Reads program is marking its fifth year of weekly tutoring sessions at three Title I schools in the city: Bel-Air, Atrisco and Wherry Elementary Schools. Kirtland AFB's partner elementary school is Wherry Elementary, just outside of the Gibson Gate.

The program involves an individual or team of up to four individuals committing to one one-hour tutoring session each week beginning in October and running through May. The team approach allows personnel that may have TDYs or vacations planned to still commit to the program. Only one member of the team needs to be present at each session.

Each tutoring session is 70 minutes long; volunteers work with two students individually in 30-minute blocks and each session includes 10 minutes of session preparation with on-site coordinators.

There are 110 tutoring slots, for individuals or teams, at Wherry Elementary. The goal is for Kirtland AFB to fill all of those slots. Registration for tutors has already begun and will continue through Sept. 27.

Volunteers must attend a three-hour training session during September. Training sessions for Wherry Elementary volunteers are available 12:30-3:30 p.m. on Sept. 4, Sept. 6, Sept. 11, Sept. 13, Sept. 18 and Sept. 20.

All volunteer tutors, or teams, must also commit to filling their slot each week from the first week of October through the first week of May. Available sessions are Mondays from 9:50-11:05 a.m., Tuesdays from 9:50-11:05 a.m., or Thursdays 9:50-11:05 a.m.

There is also a need for substitute tutors should a regular tutor not be able to attend a tutoring session.

Interested personnel should call 1st Lt. Eric Snyder at 853-5504 or e-mail him at eric.snyder@kirtland.af.mil. Information about the program can be found at www.abqchamber.com, at the Albuquerque Reads link.