SAN ANTONIO YOUTH LITERACY

The SAYL's Reading Buddy program utilizes volunteer reading tutors who work one-on-one with students in elementary schools and community centers in San Antonio. According to several national studies, if academic success is defined based on high school graduation, a student's probability of attaining success can be predicted by knowing his or her reading level at the end of grade three. SAYL's program was developed to reach students during this important developmental period by identifying those students who are reading below grade level and working with them to improve their reading skills.

SAYL works with local elementary schools and, through their teachers and reading specialists, children are identified who are at risk of school failure due to poor reading skills. These children are then matched with a volunteer reading tutor for participation in the program. The students' progress is measured by using the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System. This assessment tool is already being used by all of the school districts we currently work with. This form of assessment determines the student's current reading level, thereby identifying those students who need assistance through our SAYL Reading Buddy Program. Testing will take place at the beginning of the school year, mid-year, and again at the end of the school year, thereby giving us each student's improved reading level. The Fountas & Pinnell assessment, in addition to providing us with a current reading level, also provides in-depth analysis of each student's reading deficiencies to include issues with comprehension, fluency and sight word retention. SAYL will use this data in partnership with the Reading Buddies to create more personalized tutoring sessions aimed at improving those identified reading deficiencies. An additional benchmark available with this testing is the ability to document the student's progress across a school year and across grade levels. This will give SAYL the ability to monitor the long-term success of this program's intercession.

San Antonio Youth Literacy's Reading Buddy program is designed to support the participant's efforts to read at grade level, encouraging them to learn to enjoy reading, and to use these experiences to help build self-esteem. This is done in an effort to help each child improve, thereby helping to improve their future. In partnership with community members, local agencies, faith-based organizations, and public and private organizations, we are trying to break the cycle of children with reading problems who continue to fall farther behind, with the possible outcome of eventually dropping out of school.