BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A struggle many parents and teachers are familiar with since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic - helping children bounce back from a learning loss.
A drop in literacy rates among Buffalo's youngest students is inspiring new initiatives to help get kids back on track.
National research has found that reading fluency has fallen to 30% for 2nd and 3rd graders, just one year into the pandemic.
In New York State, less than half of 3rd-grade students were proficient in ELA last year.
Some initiatives are focused on increasing support staff for students, and others want to expand access to reading materials.
Expanding access began today with the "If You Give A Child A Book Campaign," which gifted students at the Stanley Makowski School a new copy of the latest "Dogman" book by author Dav Pilkey.
"The best thing about Dogman's books is that they are really fun, with the onomatopoeia words they use. The kids can read infliction and share stories," first-grade teacher Lisa Heidi Oliveto said.
While the Dogman series is incredibly popular, the Scripps Howard Foundation believes that providing students with access to any book helps plant the seeds for future success.
"It's huge, some of these students have never held their very own book that was given to them brand new. To have something that is their own is huge, it's a great opportunity," literacy coach Joyce Barnwell said.
The campaign aims to help build confidence in young readers while highlighting that... it can be fun.
According to 2022 New York State ELA test results, nearly 80% of Buffalo's 3rd-grade students are not reading with proficiency.
And now, Read to Succeed Buffalo, a volunteer program has now announced its expansion.
The program now operates in eight schools but needs help to expand its programming to mentor a total of 400 students.
"Learning to read as you speak with the comfort and self-confidence of doing that is so palpably contagious when you see these kids do this with a smile on their face," Read to Succeed volunteer Jack Walsh said.
The tutors will meet with students individually two to three times a week for 30 minutes a day. Students will rehearse fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
The program is looking for 65 new volunteer tutors/mentors (ages 50 and over) for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year.
You can volunteer and learn more about the program, here.
