Developing literacy skills is difficult enough without trying to be proficient in two languages, but a growing number of American schools are seeing young students who face just such a challenge. America Reads is a national program that calls on all Americans to help ensure that every American child can read well and independently by the end of third grade. It is a child-focused program that works in-school to provide children with tutors and other assistance in developing and refining literacy skills.

In the Twin Cities, America Reads volunteer tutors come from eight universities to work with St. Paul and Minneapolis students in grades K-4, developing pre-reading skills, reading and writing skills and other non-literacy goals. The program also operates throughout greater Minnesota, using volunteers from outstate colleges.

Julie Barkley, a University of Minnesota freshman from Eden Prairie, spends two afternoons a week at Jackson Elementary School in St. Paul, reading with first-and second-graders and assisting teachers. Most of the time, she listens to the students read from their texts or from a library book of their choice.

Barkley was initially surprised to see that almost all of her students came from non-English speaking homes, primarily Hmong (America Reads specifically targets non-English speaking students, including Somali, Hispanic and Vietnamese). Because of the scarce English they have heard growing up, "a lot of the kids struggle with the little things (in English)," Barkley said. "Many of them don't get a lot of time working with their parents, and some donÌt get to read at home," so the program "really makes a difference," she observed.

To encourage both students and their families, Jackson Elementary holds a Family Reading Night each autumn. Parents, students and teachers gather to talk about reading and the goals for the year. While children pick out a free book to take home, teachers hold workshops for parents, sharing tips, such as asking children about what they've just read, and stopping before the end to let the child finish a book on her own.

It all makes a difference, according to Barkley. While there isn't a big change in the first few weeks, most of the children she's tutored show improvement in both their reading skills and their interest before the first quarter of the school year is over, and that is encouraging, too.

"The teachers really care, and I see how badly these students want to learn to read. And not just read, but to be encouraged, because if they aren't encouraged they aren't going to learn," Barkley said.

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