RSVP pairs seniors, students to give the gift of reading

On an average day, a trip to Kyle from San Marcos might take thirty minutes. In a half an hour, a parent can make a quick evening meal or a family can watch one episode of their favorite TV show. In the grand scheme of things, thirty minutes might seem inconsequential, but in certain regards, it can make all the difference in the world.

In the life of a third grade reader, for example, thirty minutes a week with a focused volunteer tutor can mean the difference between struggling below grade level and finally reading with confidence.

This August, as San Marcos teachers greet their new students, DeZavala and Travis Elementary Schools will welcome RSVP - America Reads, a program that pairs local seniors aged 55 and up with kindergarten through third graders to help foster a lifelong love for reading.

“All we do is read with kids,” said RSVP volunteer coordinator Patti Buckley. “It’s all about the reading.”

A retired teacher, reading specialist and elementary school principal, Buckley has experienced the challenges faced by teachers and families within the school systems. She also understands how vital reading is to a young child’s development into a functional adult. For example, children who cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school. Additionally, 80% of inmates in Texas prisons are functionally illiterate.

Knowing these statistics, Buckley joined RSVP - America Reads in order to help struggling students get the focused attention they need to become more successful as adults. The second essential piece of the puzzle is the volunteers themselves.

“You’re somebody’s Mamaw,” said Barbara Weyland, director of RSVP. “That’s what it is. The kids really do identify these seniors as a grandparent figure.”

Weyland, who comes to the America Reads with thirty years of experience working in nonprofit organizations that were mostly involved in research and social services, also knows how important it is for retired seniors over the age of 55 to get out of the house and interact with others. “As we grow older, our sense of purpose might begin to fade,” Weyland said. “Children grow up and move out of the house, seniors retire from their jobs and some physical activities may become more difficult. Regaining a feeling of purpose through volunteering can help older adults feel recharged with a new zest for life. It helps people feel more capable, confident and useful.”

That’s where the synergy of the America Reads program begins, but the benespecial fits extend to the teachers and schools as well.

“We don’t give the teachers any extra work,” Buckley said. “The schools already have intervention time built in, so we’re using their schedule and working with those kids. We just pull the kids out, sit with them and read with them.”

“And it seems to be working,” Weyland said. “The teacher satisfaction survey we send out at the end of the year, the teachers say such positive things. This teaching model is based on research. People ask, ‘How can thirty minutes each week make a difference? Oh, it does.’” RSVP - America Reads will pilot its program at DeZavala and Travis Elementary Schools during the fall semester. To qualify as a tutor, volunteers must be age 55 or older, complete the volunteer application, be able to commit at least 30 minutes of time per week during the entire school year, pass a school-administered background check and provide regular reporting to the volunteer coordinator.

“One of the great things about this program is that we’re only asking you to commit one hour a week, only during the school year, no holidays, you get spring break,” Weyland said. “We have some tutors who tutor 12 kids. They’re spending six hours a week because they have the time for it.”

“We go through two levels of training,” Buckley said. “One is more formal and one is getting to know the teachers, meeting the kids, and then, they start doing their thing and it works beautifully.”

“And you don’t have to be a retired teacher,” Weyland added. “We have engineers, we’ve had business people, farmers, librarians… You don’t have to have a particular background. You just have to be able to pass a background check and read at third grade level. That’s all.”

“It makes a difference for the kids, which is the most important thing,” Buckley went on. “And making sure that the seniors who are working with them get a lot out of the program. That’s what we do. We give them the ‘once a week, I have to be there for so-and-so.’ It helps seniors in so many ways.”

For those interested in volunteering, please contact the RSVP - America Reads office by calling 830-379-0300 or via email at rsvp@tlu.edu.