Greenville News 04/27/2014

Letter: Tutoring is an effective way to change a life

By Pat Riordan

While the battle to restore federal funds to help low-income children rise out of poverty through education continues, the Augustine Literacy Project® is gearing up to recruit local volunteers to tutor school children in the Upstate. The mission of the Augustine Literacy Project is to improve the reading, writing and spelling abilities of low-income children who struggle with literacy skills.

This nonprofit group is committed to providing caring, professionally trained tutors who are taught a structured, multisensory method that is a derivative of the highly acclaimed Orton-Gillingham approach and uses Wilson Reading System® materials for easy lesson preparation. Children qualify for Augustine tutors if they are at least one grade below level and qualify for free/reduced lunch. Teachers, parents and instructional coaches identify the students who are then paired with a volunteer who has successfully completed 70 hours of instruction including a practicum. Students' skills typically increase by one or more grade levels. Last year, Augustine tutors provided 702 hours of free lessons. Why not get behind something that works and is free to parents schools?

Individuals interested in combining knowledge and nurture to make a difference between prison and productivity for an at-risk child should contact ALP via the website. Since tutoring one child changes two lives this may be more effective than contacting your local politician.

Pat Riordan
Simpsonville