Teen Tutor Reading Partner Program
LINC’s most extensive program, Teen Tutor provides many benefits to both the elementary school children (buddies) and their teen tutors. LINC provides training, materials and activities, and ongoing assessments for this structured partnered reading program.
For the full 2009-10 report on Teen Tutor outcomes and evaluation, please click here.LINC’s Teen Tutor Reading Partner Program is one of the largest cross-age tutoring programs in New York City. Teen Tutor brings middle and high school students together with elementary-aged children to read in one-to-one pairings on a weekly basis throughout the year, improving the academic skills and self-esteem of all participants. This dynamic program develops the skills and values of teens and children as they work together to improve their opportunities for a better future. The program provides at-risk teens who need a chance to prove themselves with the opportunity to take on meaningful responsibilities and experience mastery and success. In fact, in our strongest partner schools, students tell us that they look forward to the year they can become a teen tutor. It becomes something to strive for – a tangible symbol of their growth and success.
In 2009-10, we served 1,130
elementary children (tutees through grade 3) and 953 young people (tutors in
grades 6 through 12) in 50 programs at 31 different sites, mostly in the New York City public
schools. This translates to 11,440 hours of one-on-one reading time for our
elementary students!
Evaluation results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of this program. Data collected at the close of the 2009-10 school year reveals that 81% of Teen Tutor programs increased tutees’ guided reading levels by two or more. In addition, 34% of the tutors reported that they have increased their own independent reading time as a result of the program, with 40% now reading to their younger siblings or other children, and 66% feeling more confident in school.
LINC’s overarching goal is to
ensure that all children learn to read – and
can read well – by the third grade. This is critical because after that
point, they must read to learn. One in four children starts the fourth grade
reading at only a first- or second-grade level. 74% of children who leave third
grade reading below grade level will never catch up.
The Teen Tutor program provides the necessary one-to-one reading practice that is so critical to achieving reading proficiency. In addition, it encourages the enjoyment of reading by fostering a secure and trusting relationship for young children to have repeated positive experiences with books. Teen tutors serve as role models that motivate elementary students to do well in school, and also counteract images and learned expectations of academic failure.
The Teen Tutor Reading Partner Program has a dual focus:
- It improves the reading ability of elementary school children through one-on-one time with more experienced readers, and connects these children with strong teenage role models who demonstrate the value of literacy and learning.
- It serves as a youth leadership program for teenaged tutors, who gain not only reading skills but also increased self-esteem, a sense of pride in their ability to affect change, and improved school attitudes and attendance rates, all of which contribute to school success.
Program Design
Middle/high schools are paired with elementary schools either
sharing space within their own school building or within close walking
distance. In most cases, entire classes
are selected to participate, either by administrative assignment or teachers
volunteering. Groups of about 18-25 teen
tutors are matched with the same number of elementary school students for
one-to-one reading sessions.
Teen tutors receive two training sessions before meeting their
buddies. Depending on the needs of the individual program sites,
paired teen tutors and reading buddies meet once or twice a week, either during
the school day or in an after-school setting. Each session lasted the duration of a class period, or about 45 minutes.
LINC staff are present at the teen tutor sessions to provide
on-going coaching for the teens and teachers. All participating students
received assistance, praise, encouragement and nurturing during sessions.
Books are provided by LINC or by the participating classroom
teachers. Each buddy pair (tutor +
tutee) maintains a Teen Tutor folder that holds weekly progress charts,
worksheets, and a book log. Teachers are provided with suggested activities
from which to choose the literacy activity for the day, enabling them to connect the tutoring session to skills being taught in the classroom.
