By Danielle Smith

Leader Staff Writer

Most everyone can agree that literacy is an important component to a child’s educational development. It is part of the foundation that helps students succeed not only educationally, but professionally as well. When a group of local residents heard that some students in the area needed a little extra help, they decided to take action.

Back in 2016, the state of Michigan passed the “Read by Grade Three” law requiring students to take a literacy assessment within the first 30 days of the new school year for kindergarteners through those in the third grade. According to the Michigan Department of Education, students that are one or more grade levels behind the third grade reading level after taking the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP), may repeat third grade.

Oxford resident Kimberly Donnelly, who leads the Literacy Club at Lakeville Elementary, first heard about the problem from her husband, Tom Donnelly, at a 2016 school board meeting.

“(Tom) heard that students at Lakeville (Elementary), out of all of the Oxford Schools…had a higher population of students that needed a little help with literacy,” Donnelly said.

With a background in education and support from their church ministry, Firmly Rooted, Donnelly started discussions with Lakeville to see what Firmly Rooted could do to help those students struggling with literacy.

It was determined that school officials would recommend students for the program, with parents having to sign a form, allowing their child to join. “I think what Lakeville (had) realized is if we have at risk first-graders, let’s start working with them in first grade so that by the time they get to third grade, they’re doing better,” Donnelly said.

In the spring of 2017, the Literacy Club was formed, where students met with mentors twice a week to practice their reading as well as other components of literacy.

“We start with a circle time where we all join together, mentors and students,” Donnelly said. “What we discovered was that it became kind of their favorite time because each student in the circle time has a voice.”

After circle time, students were paired with a mentor, with the goal of it being one student to one mentor. During this time, students were encouraged to bring a book they were working on in school or a book of interest to them to work on with their mentor. “Our goal there is to make reading fun, so that reading time is student directed,” Donnelly said. “If a student doesn’t feel like reading, and a lot of times, at the beginning they don’t because they’re not good at it so they’re embarrassed or they’re upset…then the mentor can read to them if that’s what the student wants to do. Or they take turns (reading a page)…the whole goal is to make the student comfortable and make that time fun.”

The club also provided students with literacy games that Donnelly said “(focused) on specific skills like phonics or comprehension or fluency.”

“At the end of our time together, we have time where they play…classic board games…and they have a time just building relationships and having fun together,” she said.

Prior to the start of the 2019 school year, the Literacy Club was held after school. This year, the club is set to be held on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, possibly beginning in October with breakfast to follow.

When asked why she thought this particular club was needed, Donnelly said, “Oxford is such an excellent school system and we have the best teachers around, but…in our school system in America today, teachers are spread a little bit too thin so not every student during the school day can get that extra help that they need with whatever deficit area they have,” she said. “Not only (do) teachers…have a lot going on, but also parents in our society today have so much going on and are working so hard to make ends meet…so there is a need for kind people that love kids and want to make a difference.”

Donnelly said reception from the school and teachers has been excellent. “I always want to make sure that we are making a difference so we always ask the teachers in the spring for feedback and the kids that we’ve been working with, and the teachers have said that not only are these students making gains in reading and literacy, but many of them become better students, better citizens,” she said.

Aside from the progress that teachers and administration noticed, the students participating in the club started to notice improvements too.

“(When the students) are first referred to us, some of them come super cynical and skeptical with a chip on their shoulder, others are angry…but then over a month or two months, and certainly by the end of the year, they feel like they are the privileged ones that get to come (participate in the club) and they will tell us that,” Donnelly said.

As for the rest of the school district, Donnelly would “love to see (the program) expand to other schools in the district,” but she needs more mentors.

“Right now with the time switch, I only have a commitment from nine mentors…Lakeville keeps asking, ‘can you take more kids?’ and I can’t do anything until I have mentors,” Donnelly said. “The worst thing for us to do is make this another crowd control situation where students aren’t getting the attention…and my mentors can’t do what they came to do which is to give one-on-one attention.”

Donnelly’s goal is to get 50 mentors to commit to the club. She would like to have 20 mentors each day, with the 30 additional mentors on stand-by to fill in as needed or when they are able. She said this is a great way to get involved for those folks who want to help, but can’t commit to the program all year.

“(The mentors) just need to have a love for students, a love for kids and want to make a difference. I always say if you can laugh, give a smile, play a game, look at a book, you made all of the qualifications,” Donnelly said.

High school students have gotten involved too and will continue to do so, even with the switch to mornings. Donnelly said the club was prepared to make special arrangements for those student mentors. Instead, the individuals decided that they would rather volunteer their time on Wednesday mornings when high school students have a late start, so they wouldn’t miss class and could still support the younger generation of Wildcats.

“We would love to have (more) juniors and seniors in high school that are interested to do this as well because it is so important for those elementary school students to see that students in their district care enough about them too,” Donnelly said.

While vast improvements have been made in the reading and comprehension skills of students who have participated in the program, Donnelly wants to expand the program beyond the school year with a Books on Wheels program.

The idea of the Books on Wheels program is to have an adult tricycle with a cart attached go through Lake Villa Mobile Home Community twice a week, providing books for adults and children of all ages to encourage reading throughout the summer. Books would be borrowed and returned on an honor system basis.

“The biggest reading loss for students, especially low-income students, is not that school isn’t in session, but lack of access to books over the summer, so we wanted to bring the books to them,” Donnelly said.

According to Donnelly, local businesses and chamber members that have heard about this potential program are “on board” with some businesses giving “generous donations” to help the program get up and running.

The Literacy Club accepts donations as well. Donnelly said board games and supplies get worn out and Firmly Rooted covers the cost of breakfast for those students that do not qualify for free meals. “Firmly Rooted doesn’t have a budget line, it’s just the generosity of our folks,” she said.

“(The Literacy Club) is a really positive thing all around and the mentors (and students) love it, so all around it’s good,” Donnelly said.

For those looking to get involved or donate to the program(s), contact Donnelly at kimberlyd96@gmail.com.