TOLEDO, Ohio — At the downtown Toledo Library, the Read for Literacy and Clair's Day programs offer free assistance to any person, young or older, looking to learn how to read.
Read for Literacy Executive Director Diana Bush said there are about 40,000 adults in Northwest Ohio who read below a fourth grade reading level and are raising children who also read at the same level. She said combing this with the literacy data from Ohio's 2023-2024 School Report Card found kindergarten through fifth grade students are struggling.
This has been especially true since after the pandemic.
Thus, the program, Creating Young Readers, has been working to make sure early literacy skills are top priority for several years. Bush said they're looking for more community help to make sure more students get reading assistance. Since the state's annual district report card ranked Toledo Public Schools, one of the largest districts in Northwest Ohio, low in early literacy.
Bush said this local problem is actionable.
"If your child isn't prepared for kindergarten, without interventions. The chance that they're going to pass a third grade guarantee, is very limited," Bush said.
The free one-on-one tutoring program focuses on reading with kindergarten and first graders. The program's longest serving volunteer, Jan Whitaker, said as a retiree, helping kids read is the best way to spend her time.
"It's very gratifying. It's not difficult, you just go to the school. They let you in, you sit down with the kids. You guys are providing a service," Whitaker said.
"The more volunteers we have, the more times those kids can get one-on-one attention from an adult. Which is so important," Bush said.
Though, Whitaker volunteers two hours at a time with students. Bush said the program only asks volunteers to donate one hour, but are welcome to do more. She said volunteering may seem so simple, just helping a child sound out a book, or play an educational game. But that time, means so much more to them.
" In the majority of schools we work in, somewhere between 67% to 81% of kindergartners score on the very lowest tier in the kindergarten readiness assessment," Bush said.
Creating Young Readers is currently in six TPS schools, one Maumee City School, one charter school. It also helps at five different library branches. Bush said more volunteers is necessary to give as many students the attention they need. But, at the same time, if any student in the area is looking for reading help, at any grade level, reach out.
"I feel like, I'm providing something to them. It's really great when they do respond, and you see you're making an impact," Whitaker said.
For more information on Creating Young Readers Program, in how to help, or get help, call (419) 242-7323 or click here.