Glendora Kiwanis Club Champions Literacy at Stanton Elementary School

The first-grade student Debbie Damron tutored was “very quiet” and “didn’t want to do anything," a sour presence who had became educationally disengaged after stumbling with lessons in reading. The discouraged child was on his way to give up on one of life’s most important lessons. 

But Damron, 62, a retired kindergarten- first grade teacher says the change in the now second grade student is remarkable.

"He'll come in and do what’s next, and we just move on,” she said.

Damron is one of a dozen community members, many from the local Kiwanis Club, that have stepped in to help struggling Stanton Elementary first and second graders with their reading skills. 

Even Glendora Superintendent Dr. Robert Voors, a Kiwanian, is a volunteer in the program, helping a student learn alphabet letter sounds and teaching students how to merge these sounds together when they see the letters in a word. 

 “(The Kiwanians) are making a difference with these kids,” said Dr. Charles Gomer, a school board member and a Kiwanian tutor.  “If a child can read it means so much for their future. If they can’t read, they can’t comprehend how difficult it will be for them.”

Now in its second year at Stanton, the program has done its part to contribute to an enormous boost to state testing scores in a short span of time.  The school’s API went up 37 points from 2008-2009 to 2009-2010.  The API for Hispanic students jumped 63 API points; socioeconomically disadvantaged students experienced a 49 API point boost. 

Poor reading skills can mean long-term struggles in school, so the Kiwanian service comes as welcome support for thin-staffed Stanton administrators and their three-feet tall pupils, who receive one-on-one tutoring using the phonics-focused Barton Reading & Spelling System.     

“We had first graders, who couldn’t identify letters – when the teacher gave directions to do a writing assignment they would scribble right off the paper because they knew writing was supposed to be on paper, but they didn’t know exactly what went into it,” Stanton Elementary Principal Kristina McCauley said.  .

The Kiwanis tutoring program helps 19 students with several members – many of them retired—taking on multiple students, Stanton intervention coach Serena Armijo said.

By the time children enter the California education system, requirements – some of the highest set in the nation – dictates the pace of the classroom.  For some, especially those with Dyslexia, the classroom setting can feel like a treadmill set to a pace too fast, leaving some students quiet in class, aggravated, and perpetually academically behind.

The help from Kiwanians comes at a time when budget cuts and declining elementary enrollment has cut funding by $10 million at Glendora Unified since 2004. Armijo said she asks the seven first-and-second grade class teachers to identify four students who are struggling academically. 

Armijo then chooses those who will be put into the tutoring program. 

 “(The students) don’t feel confident about speaking, so they don’t want to get it wrong,” Armijo said.  “When they are in a small environment they feel less intimidated. They start to have a voice and build that confidence.”

Damron said she has seen huge gains from her students, some who are able to catch up with recommended reading levels by year end.  After hearing about the Barton reading program at a California Association Reading event six years ago, she advocated to have the Barton program brought to the now-closed Williams Elementary.

Two years ago, the program was brought to Stanton.

During difficult budget times, the program has been a big boost in support for students.

 “They come in there (and) they are enthusiastic,” Damron said.  “They participate.  There are distractions, there is restlessness, they are first and second graders. They are great kids. As you work with them they open up and tell you what happened during their day.”