Success Stories

First Grader Transforms Tears to Smiles

Parents, teachers, and Ms. Redfern's first-grade class sat in the audience waiting to see students like Ashley perform at the annual Reading Partners recital.  When it was Ashley's turn, she strutted to the front of the audience, announced her name, and began reading from "A Garden." No one from the back of the room needed to ask Ashley to speak up.  She read like a ham.  Every time she'd finish reading a page, she'd pause, look at her audience adoringly, and hold the book up like a teacher to show everyone the pictures on the page.

First-grade teacher Kristin Redfern described Ashley before working with a tutor at Reading Partners.  "Ashley was my student who would cry when asked if she would read a story," Ms. Redfern said. "She wouldn't read; she didn't have that confidence."

Now Ms. Redfern says that Ashley is excited about reading and what she's learning.  "Ashley is a student who anytime during the day loves to come up to me and show me the words that she knows.  And that wasn't there before."

When you ask Ashley what she thinks about Reading Partners, she says, "It's my favorite." She says it's because her tutor, Grace, is helping her to learn.  Grace Conley, Reading Partners tutor, says that she and Ashley have built "quite a relationship."  Observing Grace and Ashley together, Nuree Choe, Reading Partners site director, has seen firsthand what a critical role Grace has played in helping Ashley focus and in building her self-confidence. Choe says, "I am reminded how much potential a student has that, in a lot of cases, doesn't get tapped into in a large public school."

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Watch this Video to Learn More about Ashley Ashley is a changed student after Reading Partners.  Listen to what her teacher has to say about her transformation.

Fourth Grader Advances 2 Years in 7 Months

These days, Juão Pedro's aunt's biggest problem with her nephew's reading is getting him to finish one book before she agrees to buy him another.  "He heard about a new book at school, and he's so excited about it that he wants it right now," she said laughing.

Only seven months ago, Juão Pedro, nicknamed "JP," struggled to get through simple chapter books and described reading as boring.  Now, reading is what he does to combat boredom. "It's kind of like making a movie while you're reading; you read it and then you imagine it," he explains.

JP started Reading Partners as a fourth grader reading below third-grade level. Seven months later he was reading at the beginning of fifth-grade level.  Not only did he close his reading gap, but he also advanced two years in seven month's time.  

JP loves science and dreams of being an astronomer.  So far this year, in fifth grade, he's proud of getting all A's and is striving to be recognized in his school's highest honor group by year end.

Second Grader Jumps 1 ½ Grade Levels in 4 Months

A month after working with shy second grader Eric, his tutor, Kim Marinucci, wondered why he was enrolled in the program.  "He read beautifully, rarely missed a word, easily sounded out new words, and understood what he was reading," Kim said.

After double-checking his scores and his teacher's feedback, Amanda Moore, the Reading Partners Site Director, assured her that Eric needed to be in the program.  His teacher's report described Eric as disruptive in the classroom, unable to read fluently, and uninterested in reading. Kim was mystified.  The Eric she knew was quite the opposite, always behaving like a star student. Kim described Eric as eager to please, interested in reading and always well-behaved.

At mid-year when Reading Partners reassessed Eric, his reading scores jumped one and a half grade levels. "For kids like Eric, getting one-on-one attention makes all the difference," says Tyler Abe, an education specialist and Program Director at Reading Partners.  She says that Eric is not an isolated case.  "Some kids, especially shy kids, don't do well in the classroom.  When they feel safe in a one-on-one setting, it's just the boost they need to succeed."

Fifth Grader Turns in Homework for the First Time

When Aaliyiah arrived in her fifth-grade classroom at Berkley Maynard Academy in Oakland last fall, "She wouldn't raise her hand to participate in class.  She was introverted, and she wasn't doing her homework at all," says her teacher, Natalie Baird.  

Then Aaliyiah started working with "Miss Theresa," a working professional in her 30s who is also a student pursuing her college degree for the first time.

Every Tuesday and Thursday between her work and classes, Theresa arrived at the reading center and diligently worked with Aaliyiah.  Aaliyiah was shy and lacked motivation.  Theresa, drawing on the nurturing part of herself she developed growing up with many siblings, demonstrated her care and belief in Aaliyiah's potential.  

"Sometimes Theresa was strict with her high expectations and other times she was very playful," observed Lilly Green, Site Director.  "But the most important thing for Aaliyiah was having the consistency of Theresa showing up day after day no matter what," says Lilly.

By the end of the year, Aaliyiah became increasingly confident with tackling new, complex words like "university" and grasping comprehension concepts like understanding the author's message.

Aaliyiah's teacher, Natalie, is pleased with the strategies Aaliyiah has learned and the relationship she has built with her tutor. "Aaliyiah looks at a word and knows how to break it down," she says. Aaliyiah's confidence and performance have turned around.  Says her teacher, "She raises her hand in class and turns in her homework."

As for Theresa, she is considering a career in teaching.