Whittier Kindergarten Program

I recall a shy and timid boy that entered Kindergarten at Whittier ES in late October of 2023. He joined the Albuquerque Reads program with a recommendation from his teacher. Though he had few and limited experiences with formal school, he was excited to join the ABQ Reads program and eagerly greeted his tutor each day.

Each week, the young boy would arrive with a mix of excitement and uncertainty, unsure of what to expect but hopeful for progress. Although he did not yet know his letters and sounds when he entered the ABQ Reads program, he had an experienced ABQ Reads tutor (18+ years) that would help support and encourage him through his literacy journey. 

Day after day, his tutor greeted him with a warm smile and a playful tone. "Let's go on an adventure through words today!" she would say, setting the tone for their journey together. Slowly, by slowly, this young boy was able to learn the sound/symbol relationships.

They began with the basics – naming each letter and stating its corresponding sound. His tutor used games and songs to make learning fun and engaging. They played "Letter Bingo," as the young boy searched for letters and called them out triumphantly. "Bingo!" he would shout, his eyes lighting up with each correct answer.

Next came phonics. His tutor patiently guided him through the alphabet, naming the letters and creating the sounds each letter made. They practiced blending sounds together to form simple words, like "cat" and "dog." The boy stumbled at first, but his tutor was always there with encouragement. "You're getting it! Keep going!"

Weeks turned into months, and the boy’s confidence began to grow. He started recognizing familiar words in the books they read together, and he eagerly sounded out new ones with his tutor’s guidance. "Look, I read this word!" he exclaimed one day, pointing proudly at a page.

Throughout the year, each milestone was praised. The young boy’s attendance improved, and he was more enthusiastic about reading and more confident in his abilities. His writing had also improved, and he was eager to show off his improvement during ABQ Reads sessions.

As the year came to an end, great changes had been seen. The young boy’s journey with Albuquerque Reads and his tutor was not just about learning to read – it was about discovering the joy of stories, the power of perseverance, and the kindness of those who believe in you. A love for reading grew in this young boy, thanks to the support and guidance of his dedicated tutor and the wonderful community at Albuquerque Reads. 

-- Sinta O'Connor, Whittier ES Kindergarten Site Coordinator

Whittier First Grade Program

Our 1st grade had two ESL students from different families that had just arrived from different countries in Africa. They arrived during the second semester. When they began, they spoke no English and were very reserved and quiet.  We placed them carefully with experienced tutors who were retired teachers. 

After the first week one was still reluctant to attend tutoring sessions. We think she was confused because she had a tutor that was ill and was not there as she walked in the door each day.  We set her up with a new tutor and that is when “the magic” happened. They bonded and she started reading and responding. Soon she was drawing and writing stories that she was proud of. She was excited to work one on one with her tutor!

The other child was comforted to attend by a classmate that was in the program he and had no reticence to attend but struggled until the tutor found a book with pictures that he could name in his language, and he quickly picked up the English words. 

Both students were extremely intelligent and were made to feel comfortable in the one-to-one interactions with their tutors in ABQ Reads and they made excellent progress.

-- Patricia Willis, Whittier ES First Grade Site Coordinator

Bel-Air ABQ Reads

I’m going to call her Faith. She came to Bel-Air about the middle of the school year. She had not been attending school; and, in fact, she and her mother had been without a home. She had one little dress and some torn sneakers. The school system immediately took her to the clothing bank, and the family got help finding them a temporary home.

She had the most beautiful smile! But, she was way behind in her learning. She didn’t know how to sit still in a chair. She had never held a pencil or used crayons. She had trouble in the classroom joining group activities. When she started attending Albuquerque Reads with one-on-one support, she made connections with her tutors. (Three days of tutoring a week for 30 minutes, with a different tutor each day.) Her tutors quickly learned what she needed to know. They focused on her following along in books and beginning to point to each word. They realized she didn’t know the colors so would get out the box of crayons and help her use and name the colors. They helped her learn to write her name and name the letters. They helped her draw pictures and “tell a story” about them as the tutors wrote down her words. She was quickly able to sit (most of the time) and focus on her learning.

By the end of the school year Little Ms. Faith was reading and writing with help from her tutors. She was not “on grade level” but had certainly made HUGE gains. That beautiful smile was bigger, and those eyes were shining with pride.

-- Sally Giannini, Bel-Air ES Site Coordinator

Atrisco ES ABQ Reads- A Tutor’s Perspective

As I read from the book, Danny the Dinosaur, my student’s eyes scanned the words, connecting to sounds, letters, and photographs. We shared laughter and surprise with each turn of a page. Now my student was ready to read himself! As we shared the reading, he began to unravel mysteries of the print. We counted words on the page, sounded out the beginning letters of words, and used our voices to bring meaning to the punctuation.

Writing about Danny, the dinosaur, came next. Cautiously my student held the pencil and looked to me for support. We shared the writing, interactively, recording his thoughts and ideas. Most times, he was able to write the beginning and ending sounds of the words himself. The hardest part was getting that pencil to form the letters on the page. This was going to be a process.

The last part of the lesson was always fun for both of us. Phonics games brought cheers and laughter, a feeling of team spirit. He loved to use the magnetic boards to play with sounds and make words. Sometimes, we would make up stories based on the words he would form-- silly rhyming stories.

This was our routine. Many books and journal entries later, my student became a confident reader. At the end of this journey, I felt confident, too. The program’s site coordinators developed targeted lessons that made the tutoring sessions meaningful and seamless. With their support and encouragement, I became a better tutor. The program really works. I felt a part of it.

-- Marsha Artley, Atrisco ES Tutor 2023-2024 turned Site Coordinator 2024-2025