Reading Readiness

They're taking matters into their own hands. Two women in Clearwater were upset when they learned the reading ability of children in their Vacation Bible School. That was four years ago. Now they're turning around young lives.

In Assignment: Education: Bill Ratliff shows us how they are giving children a future.
You are about to get a peek at special tutoring classes, but they're not at a school.
They're at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, in Clearwater.

--[Young boy says:] "Park.. (Pauses)". [Adult volunteer says:] "Boundaries." [Boy says:] "Boundaries." [Adult volunteer says:] "Okay, what does the first fare mean?" [Young girl says:] "It means like transportation."--

These young people are taking part in a program called "Reading Readiness". It's for children who are behind in school.. Particularly in reading. The program was created four-years ago by these two women.. Audrey Little and Gloria Campbell... after they saw children in Vacation Bible School, who were a grade or two behind in reading.

--[Gloria Campbell says:] "The thing that really bothered me was that these were children who were being promoted.. moved.. from grade to grade. And that I knew were prime dropout candidates."--

So with the help of their church and dedicated volunteers, Campbell and little set the wheels in motion.. Literally. To get these youngsters to the classes.. The church van is used to pick them up and take them home.. every Monday and Friday nights. And to entice them attend.. the children are fed. Campbell says for some of them it's the only meal they'll get for the day. But she says they also get something else.

--[Campbell says:] "Because they know something special happens to them when they come here.. Uh.. They're hugged. They're rewarded. They're asked about how their week went. They're given an opportunity to talk and they have someone to listen."--

Bill Ratliff, Newschannnel 8.

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