The City of Rochester is prioritizing reading this summer by tapping into the Read Alliance program.
The program provides a free phonics-based reading curriculum for 90 students entering first, second and third grades. And it provides job opportunities for the teenagers who tutor them.
“If a child is not reading on grade level by third grade, it is much harder to catch up after that, so everything else is impacted,” said Danielle Guindo, executive director of Read Alliance. “We want to make sure that we're catching young children before that critical moment.”
Read Alliance has been operating in the New York City area for 25 years. The objective, Guindo said, is for students to improve at least a full grade level in reading. She said 85% of kids who participate in the program meet that reading goal each year.
The Rochester City Council is funding this pilot program and is collaborating with the Rochester City School District on the effort.
“Reading is fundamental. It is the core basic educational skill. It has to be taught,” said councilmember Michael Patterson. “If we simply stem summer learning loss and pay the big kids to engage with their community, that alone is success.”
Read Alliance operates on the idea that when a child is learning to read with a big kid, who's encouraging them and fostering their ability to grow as a reader and believe in themselves as a reader, they will have a more positive relationship with books.
LaShay Harris, City Council’s vice president, said this program also serves as an anti-violence initiative. She said if youth of all ages engage in summer learning “they’re not out there wreaking havoc in our communities,” and are not “exposed to the dangers of some of the violence in the community as well.”
The program began July 7 and ends August 14. If proven successful, Patterson said, the hope is to extend the program throughout the school year.
“There are folks who could say, this is outside the scope of the Rochester City Council. It's not your job to teach kids how to read,” Patterson said. “I humbly submit that it's everyone's job to get in there and do what you can to make sure that our babies know how to read.”
