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Try reading these sentences out loud.
"Th Grnby Pckrs r th bst ftbll tm n th NFL. Thy hv a grt qrtrbck."
"The bandage was wound around the wound."
The fact that you can decipher the first sentence at all, and can pronounce the words in the second sentence correctly, confirms that we read with our brains, not our eyes. So how do we learn to read?
Learning to read is a complex process that encompasses understanding concepts of print, knowledge of letters and letter sounds, with the ultimate goal of making meaning from print. "Reading well is not necessarily knowing every word," says Ann Bates, EdD, Reading Power Board of Directors member and veteran educator. "It's knowing what to do when you come to a word you don't know."
Children living in poverty begin school with some built-in challenges. Research has found that there is a 32-million word gap in students who are raised in poverty when compared to their classmates living at higher income levels, resulting in the underdevelopment of oral language at early ages. By the time children enter our classrooms, there is already a significant difference in their ability to understand, respond, and be ready to learn.
Second, poverty changes the way the brain matures. Neuroscientists have studied the brains of children from different income levels and have identified significant differences in brain maturation.
Third, children in poverty often experience toxic stress over extended periods of time, receiving twice as many reprimands as positive comments while at home, which also affects brain development.
(Click here to learn more about
The Poverty Trifecta
.)
Reading Power supports children by providing them with the tools they need to problem solve while learning to read; by accelerating literacy learning; by believing in them when they may not believe in themselves; and by building relationships and trust.
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Fostering a Growth Mindset
"Adopting a growth mindset is a fundamental aspect of Reading Power, and why we work so hard to encourage our students by praising their efforts and helping them see how their achievements were gained through hard work," says Lisa Bulzoni, MEd, Director of Programs.
Developing a growth mindset (a scientific theory developed by Dr. Carol Dweck) helps even the youngest learners understand that intelligence is not fixed, and that the brain is a muscle that grows and changes with hard work, effort, and practice.
Reading Power begins each lesson by focusing on what the child already knows and is able to do. Each 35-minute session with a first or second grade student consists of reading four books, writing a sentence about what they have read, and learning a frequently used word. The first book read in a session is the one being read for the fourth time, allowing the child to be successful as the lesson begins. The last book read in a session is the new book being seen for the first time.
We believe all children deserve the opportunity to reach their intellectual potential. Instilling a growth mindset is like unlocking the universe for them. "The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it's not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset," Dr. Carol Dweck writes.
"In the growth mindset, failure can be a painful experience. But
it doesn't define you
. It's a problem to be faced, dealt with, and learned from."
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Our Mission
Working in partnership with underserved schools,
Reading Power provides one-to-one tutoring during the school day
for children in prekindergarten through 2nd grade.
Our mission is to accelerate children's literacy learning,
and to develop in them a love of reading and writing.
All children deserve to reach their intellectual potential.
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Tutors Are Ready for an Exciting Year!
Reading Power's Organizational Meeting was well attended by new and returning volunteer tutors and Reading Power staff. More than 130 people attended Tutor Training sessions this year, including 37 new tutors, the largest group of new tutors that we've ever seen! And that's great news as Reading Power expands into two new schools this year.
Over the course of two weeks, Reading Power's Director of Programs Lisa Bulzoni shared our research-based curriculum, teaching tools, and personal experiences with tutors eager to begin working with children in North Chicago and Zion, Illinois. A big thank you to the North Chicago Public Library for allowing us to use their Community Room for training.
Our sincere thanks to all tutors for your interest, intelligence, and dedication to fostering the promise of literacy for our community's under-served children. We could not do it without you!
With Tutor Training now complete, Reading Power is ready for another exciting year in the schools.
If you would like to get involved but missed this training, don't worry! New tutors join us throughout the year.
Click here to learn more.
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Reading Power "graduate" Justin Hartley will speak at the 15th Anniversary event. |
15th Anniversary Celebration Just Around the Corner!
Tables are filling for our 15th Anniversary Celebration to be held October 18 at Highland Park Country Club!
The evening will include a wine reception, seated dinner, and brief presentation. Tickets are $125.
We are thrilled to welcome Poet Beth Ann Fennelly as our featured speaker. Our program will also include thoughts from children we have served over the years, such as North Shore Country Day Senior Justin Hartley, featured recently in this
North Shore Weekend article
.
We hope you and your friends will join us! Funds raised will support Reading Power's expansion into new schools.
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Special Thanks to our Event Sponsors!
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Platinum Sponsors
BMO Harris Bank
Forest & Bluff
Mary Jane and Gig Hender
Karol and Bob Karlblom
Kathy and Bob McFarland
Diane Quinn
Arthur Reynolds
Betsy and Andrew Rosenfield
Robin and Sandy Stuart
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Joanie and Steve Alley
BCU
Kathleen and James Cowie
Determan Balk Family Foundation
Follett Corporation
Jelly Belly Candy Company
Melinda and Dave Mooney
Rebecca Peebles
Beverly and Joe Raudabaugh
Silver Sponsors
Germaine and Eric Arnson
Ann and Bob Bates
Prue and Frank Beidler
Julie Collishaw and Dan Arment
Betsy and Bill Conrad
Covergint Technologies
The Gamache Family
Dona and Dick Litzsinger
Gerrie and Tom Ryan
Smith Research, Inc
Morgan Stanley
Heather and Patrick Thornton
Thomas Wood
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Reading Power Gifts Books at the Zion Community of Character Walk
Reading Power's Julie Collishaw, Lisa Bulzoni, and Daniela Cruz were on hand to distribute free children's books to families at the Zion-Community of Character Walk, sponsored by the Zion-Benton Coalition of Healthy Communities.
"It's important for Reading Power to support and be a member of organizations that serve the communities in which we operate," says CEO Kathy McFarland, PhD.
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Reading Power Board of Directors
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Kathy McFarland, PhD, Chairman, CEO
Germaine Arnson
Ann Bates, EdD
Kathleen Cowie
John Davidson
Mark Goodman, JD
Mary Jane Hender, EdD
Todd Litzsinger
Marra Lochiatto, MBA
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Melinda Mooney
Beverly Raudabaugh, MBA
Betsy B. Rosenfield
Frank Sibley
Nancy Smith, CPA, CMA
Mary Weber
Tom Wood
Rev. Dr. Gordon Butcher, DMin, Emeritus
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Reading Power Education Staff
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Lisa Bulzoni, MEd
Joannie Alley, MSEd
Sue Butman, MSEd
Julie Collishaw, MA
Cheryl DePaul, MAT
Andrea Glickman, MAEd
Marla Guziec, BS
Cathy Keller, BS
Jenny Kronauer, BS
Joy McGreevey, BA
Marion Schmidt, BS
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Director of Programs
Assistant Site Coordinator
Assistant Site Coordinator
Beulah Park Site Coordinator
LEARN 10 Site Coordinator
Forrestal Site Coordinator
Forrestal Site Coordinator
Assistant Site Coordinator
Assistant Site Coordinator
Early Childhood Center Site Coordinator
Alexander Site Coordinator
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Stay Connected
with Reading Power
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736 N. Western Avenue, Suite 226
Lake Forest, IL 60045
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