UA education students mentor for America Reads

America Reads is a federal program introduced by President Clinton that relies on help from American universities to ensure children in public schools learn to read by the time they leave the third grade.

The College of Education offered to shoulder the program last spring, after former UA President Manuel Pacheco asked to have Arizona put on Clinton's list.

"We thought the most important thing to do as soon as we knew the money was in the college was send people who know how to tutor," said Yetta Goodman, one of three faculty members in charge of America Reads. "I feel strongly that if you're going to do this, you better know something about children and something about tutoring."

Tutors are already scheduled to go to Sam Hughes Elementary School, 700 N. Wilson Ave., and Van Buskirk Elementary School, 725 E. Fair Drive.

Goodman said students who want to get paid for tutoring have to be eligible for federal work-study funds. She said other students are welcome to contribute on a volunteer basis.

Federal funds will pay the full salary of work-study students in the America Reads program. Usually only 75 percent of a student's work-study salary is paid by the federal government.

Goodman, a language, reading and culture professor, said the main problem with America Reads is the money given to the university is solely for the purpose of paying the tutors. No money is provided for training before the program starts or for advising as it develops.

"The serious question is that the kids that have problems reading are the kids that have problems in general," she said. "So tutors are nice, but sometimes it's like having a bunch of medical students running around trying to treat illness. You need to be very well educated to teach."

Goodman said the college has set up workshops for the tutors to be trained by graduate students before they go to the schools. The training program, a part of CATS Literacy Laboratories, is already established and will be adapted to fit America Reads.

The Education College also has a mentoring program in place at local schools, called Project SOAR.

The college has offered to cover incidental costs for things like copying, the compilation of training notebooks, administrative and payroll expenses and other miscellaneous paperwork.

"In the College of Education one of the criteria to get in is to have some experience with kids," Goodman said. "So for the pre-education students this will fit the criteria."