Almost 20% of Arizona adults are functionally illiterate; nearly 25 percent of Pima County’s residents live in poverty; and one-third of the children inside Tucson’s city limits live in poverty. Arizona’s children are more likely than the national average to live in a single-parent family or in a household with low educational attainment. Almost 60% of fourth graders at some Pima County schools are reading below grade level. Arizona has one of the highest dropout rates in the nation. It is estimated that 90% of those who drop out of high school are reading below grade level. Our primary goal through ReadStrong is to help struggling readers of all ages get the free individualized student-centered reading support they need. Library staff also wanted to provide a sustainable program that provides expert training and good compensation to quality tutors who are passionate about helping people move forward. ReadStrong Tutor Maria Luna reports, “The simple recipe of some one-on-one time, caring attention, and a safe environment where it is okay to make mistakes and go slow, has proven powerful to me. Fears fade away. People thrive.” And Tutor Molly Little noted that one of her students started to read more challenging books after beginning ReadStrong and now reads chapter books. And his grandmother remarked, “I see the difference—he doesn’t fight to read.”

Library staff approached Literacy Connects, a local literacy agency and long-time provider of the library’s English Language classes, about training library tutors to help youth and adults grow into strong readers. Together, we created a new model for free reading help at the library and launched ReadStrong. Literacy Connects brought their high-touch, student-centered, strength-based teaching methods to library tutors, including these ideas: 1) the reader’s voice and their input is imperative and at the center of all learning; and 2) there is great value in the reader’s background knowledge, their questions, in how they create meaning, and in their ability to connect the text to self, others, and the world. Tutor Hannivett Nabahe shares, “After a group lesson, two girls who knew the lesson’s story said it had not seemed as fun nor made as much sense until we read and talked about it as a group.” With this expert training, ReadStrong tutors teach their students to be self-aware and to know that their voice is the crucial element that will enable them to learn how to read. ReadStrong Tutors build background knowledge by sharing information and reading to their students; they allow their students choice in reading selections; they encourage their students to draw what they are reading; and they sometimes use wordless books. Tutor Xochitl Coronado explains, “The quality of the program resides in the specialty trainings, which focus on current research-based strategies for helping struggling readers. As a tutor, I utilize different strategies with different learners.” Other ReadStrong elements include Coaching Training for tutors, reading software (Achieve3000) to complement the interactive teaching methods, ongoing professional development, and regular networking time for tutors.

During ReadStrong's first nine months (October 2012 – June 2013), the Library held 259 sessions at four branches with a total attendance of 810. During the next nine months (July 2013 – March 2014), the Library offered ReadStrong at five branches, and held 191 sessions with a total attendance of 1,131. Tutors utilized an Accomplishments sheet to keep track of growth in comprehension skills. During the first year, 73 students (out of 177 first-year students) made a connection to his or her own life, 58 asked questions, 53 initiated a conversation about the text, 66 took initiative to find a book, and 35 finished a book. Xochitl Coronado reports, “It is amazing to see a child who has never considered him/herself to be ‘able’ to read, suddenly and enthusiastically recount a part of the story he has just read, and be eager to continue reading to see what will happen next. Parents often tell me their children are the ones to remind them that it’s time for tutoring, and that they as parents see a huge improvement in their child’s attitude toward reading.” ReadStrong has many successes including: reading grades improving from a D to a B; students reading more fluently and understanding more challenging books; students expressing enjoyment about reading and picking out books on their own; and students reading in a group. PCPL has also expanded the beneficial student-focused, strength-based ideas of ReadStrong to other Library offerings, including the High School Equivalency Program, Homework Help, and staff trainings.