Helping Hands: Read Northwest Gives Students Essential 1-on-1 Reading Time

By the time Andrea Speir entered the second grade, she had switched schools six times. The constant changing of classrooms and teachers made it challenging to master early literacy skills covered in the first years of elementary. As such, reading was difficult. Speir remembers the struggle, but also her caring second grade teacher, Miss Carr, who worked with her every day after school until she caught up to her classmates. She says this one-on-one help led her to “fall in love with the written word” which later propelled her to a career in English at Sacramento State University where she created curriculum for continuing education and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

Now retired, Speir learned from her daughter, Anna Paul, about Read Northwest, a nonprofit whose mission is to increase the literacy rate of young children in Clark County. Paul, a Marine Corps veteran, was Read Northwest’s first volunteer coordinator, launching the program at Hathaway Elementary in Washougal in March 2022. Knowing exactly how important a reading mentor can be, Speir jumped in to help and was Hathaway’s first volunteer.

Similarly, local mom and also a Marine Corps veteran, Jennifer Dondero noticed while volunteering in her child’s elementary class that many students were behind in reading. When she heard about Read Northwest, she quickly got on board, expanding the program in her child’s school and becoming a volunteer coordinator, responsible for recruiting and training reading mentors who give students the individual attention they need.

Consistent Support

Read Northwest volunteers like Speir commit to 30 minutes each week on the same day, at the same time, in the same space and with the same student. This consistency is vital for the students who come from less-than-ideal home environments.

Dondero explained to me that while reading can be hard for any student, those who have experienced trauma are statistically more likely to fall behind. During training, volunteers learn that building a relationship with their buddy comes first; patience and compassion are emphasized. They are also taught redirection strategies to help kids who have trouble focusing and how to encourage those who feel embarrassed to read aloud. “They need to feel a sense of agency in our time together,” explains Speir, adding, “Our role is not to tutor. Our role is to develop a caring and encouraging relationship with our buddy while sharing our love of reading.”

Speir’s first reading buddy was a first-grade girl with little interest in reading. However, by the end of second grade, she was reading chapter books and even loved the challenge of word searches and crossword puzzles. Now a thriving third grader, she has graduated from the program and is reading at grade level. “Currently we serve students in first through third grade,” explains Dondero. “When a student graduates our program, they have an opportunity as an alumnus to stay connected with their reading mentor through our Pen Pal program. Letters are exchanged at school through the volunteer coordinator. No personal information is shared.”

Last school year, Read Northwest served seven elementary schools, four Boys and Girls Clubs and Open House Ministries’ family shelter. This year they’ve added, or are in the process of adding, six more elementary schools, where hundreds of students will greatly benefit from a mentor. “Each of the districts we are working with is encouraging us to grow with them as fast as we are able,” says Dondero, adding, “Partnering with schools has been a smooth process. It’s finding dedicated volunteers that have the heart and time that is challenging.”

Helpers Needed

While many Read Northwest volunteers are retired citizens, Dondero says they are looking for “anyone who has a compassionate heart to serve their community and elevate the life of a child by providing encouragement and patience with a young student who is struggling with literacy.” Volunteers should also ideally enjoy reading, be at least 16 years old, be punctual and able to commit to the 30 minutes per week. All volunteers must pass a background check, which is free through the school district. The reading buddy time is scheduled so that mentors at each school arrive together and work in the same space so that adults are never alone with a child.

There is a 90-minute initial training with ongoing training throughout the year. Speir, who primarily worked with adults in her profession, says she was surprised that her buddies, whom some would label “challenging,” “have become like my grandkids, and I miss my time with them when summer rolls around.”

Falling literacy rates have been widely reported across the United States, and Washington is not immune. According to Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)’s data from the 2022-2023 school year, in Clark County 46% of public school first through fourth graders are not reading at grade level. Sadly, reading rates had been dropping even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, proving that this problem is multi-factorial.

It was local business owners, Jerry Romano and Richard Brosius, who learned of low local reading rates and decided to help. Though COVID-19 protocols delayed Read Northwest’s programs, when schools opened to volunteers, they mobilized their reading mentors. “A child must first learn to read, so that they can read to learn,” they say.

With more help, Read Northwest gets closer to achieving its lofty, but worthy goal of having every child in Clark County reading at grade level. Their model of consistent, individual attention is not only changing a child’s life, the effects ripple through society, creating a better world for all of us. Recalling her previous profession where Dondero focused on building sustainable communities, she told me, “We’re connecting different generations. We are connecting the most vulnerable youth in Title 1 schools with the retired community. We are connecting the younger adult generation with kids in need. We are trying to rebuild the social capital in Clark County.”

Read the Full January 2024 digital issue below.

Go here to learn more about Read Northwest.

Go here to learn about more ways to make a difference in Clark County.