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Through their comprehensive programs, Community Housing Works, CHW, proudly serves over 8,000 children and adults each year. They are San Diego County's only member of the national NeighborWorks Network® and an award-winning affiliate of the National Council of La Raza.
Childhood literacy is of crucial importance, especially at the third and eighth grade level. According to a report issued by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a child who does not learn to read proficiently by the end of third grade is unlikely to ever read at grade level. The premise behind this is that through third grade, children are "learning to read" whereas after, they are "reading to learn." A child without grade-level reading skills will have trouble keeping up with class-work which can lead to frustration, acting out, and ultimately, giving up.
In fact, reading below grade level at third grade has been linked to failure to graduate high school and attend college. Without an education or proficiency in reading and writing, many literacy-challenged children grow into adults that have difficulty obtaining employment and are at greater risk for incarceration.
In San Diego, these issues affect our community directly. According to Children Now, only about half of children in San Diego County read at a proficient level at fourth grade. The need for support is becoming even more critical. With the current state of our State and Federal budget shortfalls, teachers are expected to do more with less. With less support inside the classroom, students who may not be reading at grade level are likely to fall further behind.
The Running Readers program was created to enhance the academic support offered within their Learning Centers and foster a love of reading in the children of our residential communities. This reading enhancement program complements their existing educational support programs and creates a focus on reading ability, which is one of the most predictive measures for school success. Running Readers provides materials and tutoring, and facilitates a supportive home environment to help youth have fun and gain confidence while developing the skills needed to read at grade-level.
For over twelve years, CHW has provided after-school homework assistance and tutoring to kindergarten through high school-aged youth at its Learning Centers located onsite at our apartment communities. Today, these centers are open in 18 of our 31 communities across San Diego County and serve about 1,000 youth a year.
The program contains the following components:
Assessments - All kindergarten through third-graders complete a reading assessment at the beginning and end of the school year to determine their current reading level and provide a LexileR score.
Incentivized, volunteer-led reading circles - Youth are divided into groups to participate in volunteer-led reading circles twice a week. These volunteers are recruited from the community and receive specialized training before working with the students to provide practice with oral reading, meaningful discussion on story content, simple reading instruction, and confidence-building motivation.
Parent participation & Family Nights - Parent participation is required for eligibility in the program. Both students and parents are encouraged to utilize both the public library and the book-loaning program offered through their Learning Centers. Another opportunity for parent and community involvement is Family Literacy Nights, monthly events where parents and caregivers are invited to visit and participate in reading enhancement activities.
Population Served
The Learning Centers are located at 18 affordable rental communities throughout San Diego County, including the City of San Diego; Oceanside; Escondido; smaller cities and rural areas; as well as the lower-income, immigrant-gateway communities of City Heights and Southeast San Diego. The Running Readers program serves children from low-income, working poor families - approximately one-third of whom earn less than 35% of San Diego County's median income ($22,000 for two people, or $27,500 for a family of four).
They serve an ethnically diverse population, including:
• 51% Latino
• 12% African-American
• 8% Asian/Pacific Islander
• 1% Native American
• 28% Caucasian
Use of Funds
A $1,000 contribution from the Rotary Club of Del Mar, together with a matching gift of $1,000 from the district Rotary office would be used to purchase books for enrichment reading for K-3 readers. All books selected are from Scholastic Books and deemed appropriate for the program and this age group. The funds provided by the grant will be used to purchase books and implemented into the program by April 30, 2014.
Scope of Impact
Over the last twelve years, the Learning Centers have created a community culture that recognizes, values, and supports educational success and financial stability. The Running Readers program deepens this impact by focusing on literacy and reading enhancement, one of the most predictive outcomes for school success. The program serves over 150 economically disadvantaged youth, helping them gain the reading skills and confidence necessary to excel in school and beyond. Research indicates that if we can help our students avoid falling below reading level, we can help them stay out jail, graduate, and gain employment.
Because Running Readers is an established program, CHW already has many of the program requirements in place and can sustain it with a relatively small annual budget that typically includes materials such as books, enrichment activities and assessment tools. Other areas that will be important to fund as they seek to offer these services to more students are staffing to increase the hours theycan open the Learning Centers and computer equipment as it needs to be replaced.
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