70 tutors involved in summer reading program

PORTALES - Literacy was the message emphasized by DeAnna Davis of Building Communities that Support Children's Reading on Thursday as she shared her programs initiative with members of Friends of the Portales Public Library.

Davis said unlike most grants, which cover only one program or activity in schools, BCSCR covers "such a broad range, and it has such a broad program of activities that we are covering not just schools, but communities."

Davis said the program has 70 local tutors working with children on reading this spring and the program places free libraries of books at various locations locally, such as the detention center, the Hartley House in Clovis, both the children's homes in Portales and in private businesses.

Davis said BCSCR is an organization under the national organization Three Rivers Foundation and serves the school districts of Portales, Clovis, Texico and Floyd with literacy programs, such as tutoring and special events like the Sock Hop that was held at Lindsey-Steiner last year and the literacy nights with reading games that were held at Floyd schools off and on throughout this past school year.

The final literacy night this year is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Floyd schools and is open to any area students.

She said her programs serve students from pre-k through 12th grade, include home-schoolers.

She said tutoring programs focus on teaching children phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary comprehension and oral development, adding that local students who have worked with BCSCR have increased 1.1 grade levels in their reading skills in the last 3 1/2 months.

"We're all about reading," Davis said. "We are trying to help kids read well through home, education and community."

Information: http://3riversed.org or email [email protected]