Wayne State students can volunteer for school credit at seven Detroit Public Schools to improve literacy rates using a five-step reading program.
The Detroit Fellowship Tutoring Project is a 2-4 credit program for undergraduate students. Open to all fields of study, it allows students to teach pre-school to second graders how to read using phonic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
According to the Honor’s College website, the Tutoring Project is an example of service, one of the Honors pillars, taking classroom experience outdoors. Pillars are focus points for Honors students, using community, service, research and career. Seventy percent of students taking the course are Honors students.
Public relations senior Jasmin Nadalizadeh said she took the class for three semesters.
"It offered me an outlet to give back to the community while receiving credit," she said.
Organizer Dr. Guy Blackburn created the Detroit Fellows Tutoring Project in 2003. Blackburn passed away in 2006, leaving Marcella Verdun and Dale Thomas to continue the job.
Both were originally Principal and Reading Specialist at DPS Herman Rogers Elementary School, now known as Herman/Rogers Academy, before working in Wayne State.
Honors Curriculum Coordinator Kevin Rashid was there from the start.
"I’ve been incredibly lucky to have three people to run this program,” he said.
“They use a combination of luck and good sense. They are committed and have excellent knowledge of DPS.”
Tutors are pre-trained to teach. They attend five seminars per semester; keep a student profile, logs and a final paper on their experiences. Grading is broken into 40 percent on papers, 60 percent on tutoring.
School coordinators make the tutoring schedules, between 7:30-3:30 p.m. and sessions are 30 minutes.Thomas said tutors do not conflict with the school’s reading program.
Positive reinforcement is used to build students’ confidence during the 1-1 sessions. Students are able to give more time to the children, Thomas said.
Tutoring is fun, challenging, exciting and sometimes frustrating, Nadalizadeh said. Some students did not have books at home, or someone to read to them.
"You appreciate every moment with you as you are probably the only person who's ever given them 100% of your attention," she said.
Students are afraid to be wrong, Nadalizadeh said. She tutored a first grader who couldn't say 'she.' "I’ll never forget his face on the day he finally got it.”
Wayne State students can take up to 16 credits of the course. Some tutors retake the class to be with children, Thomas said. A total of 34 Wayne State students are enrolled this semester; 4-5 are volunteering.
Blackburn once said we’re violating civil rights when we don’t try to provide the needs [of children with reading problems], Verdun said.
Verdun said challenges and children’s needs keep her driven.
"I want to motivate parents, students, teachers to do their best," she said. "It’s most rewarding to see a child grow maturely, socially and academically."
DPS school have special needs students, and not enough support, Thomas and Verdun said.
“Anytime people out of our village want to invest, the university is so supportive," Thomas said, referring to the Detroit area.
After further growth of the program, Rashid said he sincerely hopes to expand this program to local colleges and universities.
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