Reevaluate Program Model On A Continual Basis. The project expanded assessment tools to address the language abilities of small group participants, the majority of whom speak English as a Second Language. Childcare was enhanced to provide meaningful intervention for the children through using the computer, paying learning games, and physical recreation. Because of the over-crowding in our library computer lab, laptop computers were purchased for the benefit of the learners at the school sites. Funders are interested because they feel a maximum amount of literacy intervention ins accomplished with their funds.
Small groups make better use of community resources by increasing the ratio of learners to tutors.
Experiencing the dynamics of a small group is tangible and appealing to visitors-whether they are visiting reporters, potential tutors or funding agencies. The small group program has demonstrated excellent results and yielded real benefits to students, tutors, and the library. Reading gains of up to three levels in six months are surpassing our initial expectations. The small groups have an excellent retention rate-over 85 percent of learners remain in the program for at least one year. The groups developed a strong sense of community support among the learners.