106 I Academics Reading with expression One-on-one tutoring aids struggling readers Graduate student Alyssa Sansom helps a McRae Elementary School student read a script in the school's library Nov. 27. In Literacy Assessment and lnteNention, RDNG 633, every graduate student in the Master of Reading Program was assigned to a local elementary student with reading difficulties, and they met every Tuesday from 4:30-6 p.m. Hillary Miller est1993 Christian Counseling Programs 2 majors I 6 faculty I 28 courses est.2004 Master of Ministry Program 4 faculty I 34 courses est.2001 Educational Doctorate in Educational Leadership 29 faculty 118 courses The Harding graduate reading program partnered with McRae Elementary School in Searcy to provide experience for graduate students and assistance to elementary students. The Literacy Assessment and Intervention Field Experience class, "reading camp" as graduate student Liz Bryan called it, was part of the graduate reading program and was designed to get students out of the classroom to learn about working with actual students who had reading deficiencies. Dr. Wendy Ellis, assistant professor of education and the director of the reading program, said the main goal of the class was to "pull together all of the knowledge from other classes and implement with a student" and to make the graduate students "very fluent in reading goals, strengths and assessing deficits." To begin their journey, Bryan said the class met for two weeks in the summer to learn 40 different reading assessments that provided a way to gauge reading level and pointed out weaknesses students might have with reading. The graduate students were assigned to one elementary student from McRae Elementary School for about five weeks of one-on-one consultation. The graduate students assessed the students and devised interventions to help strengthen the student in reading areas where they struggled. An intervention was a type of game that pin pointed the weakness and help.ed the student improve their weakness through engaging exercises. Loghan Lowery, a reading graduate student in the class, said she used her iPad to share interactive books with her student to make reading more enjoyable. After the five weeks, graduate students paired up and switched off students for 45 minutes at time. This provided them with more experience in creating interventions for different students and gave the graduate students a chance to coach each other. From there, the graduate students then formed small groups of students with the same deficiencies and conducted group interventions. This gave the graduate students a chance to work with multiple students during their semester, providing a broader understanding of a teaching atmosphere. "Reading camp definitely prepares you for knowing whenever you get into any school environment you are going to be in how to actually help kids in more practical ways," Bryan said. Lowery and Bryan said the semester allowed them to form a relationship with their students. "It's knowing that you have done something for them," Lowery said. "You see them learn and grow, and it's an 'Ah-ha' moment for you and for the student. It's great." Chaney Mitchell G
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