Some Escambia County elementary students can't read well. This new program could be answer.
Reading books was challenging for 11-year-old Yeiralany Navarro. The elementary student at Global Learning Academy struggled with it until she took part in YMCA Reads, an after-school tutoring and mentoring program.
She spends a couple of hours twice a week working one-on-one with educators and volunteers in small groups. From phonics to flash cards, interactive reading videos to hands-on learning, the curriculum is designed to bring young readers up to grade level by boosting skills like vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Navarro has improved so much she not only enjoys reading, but it has also opened her world. Everyday tasks now bring new adventures.
“One time we went to Walmart and there was a woman, she had a red dot,” said Navarro, pointing to her forehead. “I told my mom that she's from India and she has that red dot because if you're from India and you're a woman and you're married, you get that red dot on your forehead, and I remember that because we read it in a book.”
YMCA of Northwest Florida launched the program at Global Learning Academy and three other Escambia County elementary schools this school year, thanks to a more than $570,000 grant from the Escambia Children’s Trust.
Navarro is one of 40 students enrolled in the YMCA Reads program at Global Learning Academy. It started last fall and will continue to the end of the school year. The program is also offered at Ferry Pass, Sherwood and West Pensacola elementary schools in Escambia County, where they each have about 40 students taking part in the reading program, for a total of nearly 160 students.
YMCA Reads is already getting great results, administrators said. According to their data, students test scores went up significantly at each school with student gains of 78% at Global Learning Academy, 68% at Ferry Pass, 86% at Sherwood, and 85% at West Pensacola.
Andrea Rosenbaum, director of advancement for YMCA of Northwest Florida, is delighted with the progress, which she credits to the program’s history of success. She said YMCAs across the state have been using it for 20 years and they’re able to tap into their experience, and share their own, to fine tune how it works.
One of the biggest factors in its success, she said, is the one-on-one help children get. Even doing something as simple as reading aloud can make a huge difference.
“Sometimes having a child read to someone can change what's happening as well, because now there is that individual attention when they stumble, somebody can help them or can just reinforce what's going right,” Rosenbaum explained. “We want to reinforce that positive work.”
Students are referred by teachers and staff at their school. The focus is on first through third grade but can start at kindergarten and continue to the fourth or fifth grade because sometimes students still need it.
The extended classroom approach also allows teachers to identify any other issues standing in the way of learning, such as language barriers, no food or permanent housing, or mental health issues.
Some of the children simply had trouble with their vision. The YMCA provided eye exams to eight children in just the first few weeks of the program and now have a pot of donated money from Cox Charities to help with that.
The improvements help students boost their confidence along with their grades.
“We had one student, Asia, she went from the third percentile to the 30th percentile just from fall to winter,” said Rebecca Rubey, YMCA literacy director. “She was trying to get on the bus and escape the program every afternoon. She was also very shy and didn't talk to any of the other kids. Now she is the first to be there and she’s so excited. It's beautiful to see them social blossoming, too.”
The results are encouraging for educators. Some Escambia County schools are getting failing grades according to state test scores and many of those students are struggling to read at grade level.
The YMCA Reads program is provided at no cost to the schools and the organizations work together to make the transition from school day to after-school tutoring seamless.
“We've given them that dedicated room (for the program) in the fifth grade hall,” said Global Learning Academy Principal Lala Pierce. “They're right where all the bus riders pass as they go to and from school. They truly have become part of our team and part of our campus and for the students, that knowledge and feeling that this is a whole other group of grown-ups who are rooting for me and are on my side is huge. We are very grateful.”
Rosenbaum said they plan to bring the YMCA Reads program to three more Escambia County schools next fall, including Oakcrest and Montclair elementary schools. The third one has not been identified yet. The “Y” is also planning a summer reading program.
In the meantime, program administrators are looking for more volunteers to work with the students several hours a week. If you'd like to apply to be a volunteer with YMCA Reads or learn more about it, you can find more information on the YMCA's website.
Students like Yeiralany Navarro recommend it.
“I didn't like reading before,” she said, “but now, how I've been learning stuff from it, I'm starting to like it.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: YMCA Reads program helping Escambia County kids learn to read