Kimberly has been serving students at Hayes Lewis Elementary in Leslie County as a ReadingCorps tutor for two years. Throughout that time she has been working one-on-one with Brantley, who is now in the third grade.
“I have seen a lot of growth in Brantley’s self-confidence over the past two years. A few weeks ago, as we were reading together, he just randomly proclaimed, ‘I’m so proud of myself!’ I had to fight back tears because it made me so happy to hear him say that about himself. I told him that I was so proud of him, too!
Brantley is so bright and has made much progress in sounding out words and improving with passage comprehension. Every day, I try to encourage him so he can see the potential that I see in him. He doesn’t have a lot of confidence in himself but he is so smart. I told him that I was so proud of him too! Based on his Woodcock scores, he has improved a lot on passage comprehension. I can also see improvement on sounding out words. I try to brag on him and encourage him every day that I see him. If he keeps progressing at the same rate, I believe he will be on track with his peers by the end of the year. Seeing a child improve and be proud of themselves, makes my service so worth it.”
ReadingCorps tutors serve children who, due to one or more indicators of dyslexia, need additional intervention and support to read on grade level. More than 30 tutors serve at public elementary schools across Bell, Knott, Leslie, and Perry Counties. To learn more about ReadingCorps and how you can make a difference in a child’s life, visit Hindman.org/readingcorps!
