Tutoring program in Phenix City builds confidence and fills academic gaps

Addison Young was a little behind in her reading and math studies when she was in the second grade.

But things are different now that she's a rising fifth-grader.

"I feel very confident," Addison said, "and like, I love math and reading now."

Addison and her brother, Matthew, a rising seventh-grader, filled those shortcomings in their academic success after enrolling in the JUMPstart program at Anew Tutoring and Enrichment Center in Phenix City. At the center, tutors bring youngsters up to speed in areas where an initial assessment has shown weaknesses, and help them hone skills to give them confidence as they approach new challenges in the classroom, said center director Pat Brooks.

"I do have better study methods," Matthew said. "I do know more and I'm better prepared, definitely."

A few years after opening her center, Brooks, who retired as a literary coach after 30 years with the Muscogee County School District, noticed that some of her summer students had gaps in their learning and had academic areas that needed to be strengthened — even though they had passed to the next grade level.

“I saw a need for our babies to feel more confident about what they were learning, and about the upcoming grade level."

The JUMPstart program is six weeks of individualized tutoring, which is helpful during the summer months when learning retention can fall off.

"In the summertime, the work needs to be engaging. It needs to be fun," Brooks said.

Tutors use games, engaging conversation, books to read together and treats at the end of the session.

"Just getting children to love learning. I think summertime is a good time for that," she said.

Stacy King's twin boys started kindergarten on track, but as the end of the school year approached, their teacher informed her that one of the boys might not advance to the first grade. That was "literally not an option," King said.

With six weeks left in the school year, her six-year-old boys met with tutors twice a week for one-hour sessions. After four sessions, they had tripled the number of "sight words" that they knew.

Then at breakfast one morning, just "out of the blue" King said, one of the boys announced, "Mama, I just love school."

Words from a child who until then, would proclaim daily that school was boring and ask why he had to go.

"If you would've told me that I would ever hear that out of either of those boys, I mean I would have just died laughing," King said. "I mean, no, they would never say that." Now the boys remind their mother that it's time to practice their words.

"They feel like we care," Brooks said. "And we do care. We do our best to make sure we eliminate some of those tears, disappointments and anxieties."

Brooks' goal is to get them on grade level as soon as possible. If they continue to experience failure, she said they will eventually shut down. When they experience success, Brooks added, they enjoy learning throughout their lives.

This story was originally published June 27, 2018 at 12:33 PM.