EXCHANGE: College students tutor in reading

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - It has been 17 years since then-President Bill Clinton challenged the nation to improve literacy among children and, at Bradley University, Clinton's America Reads initiative still goes strong.

Over that period, Bradley work-study students have provided more than 96,000 free one-on-one tutoring hours to more than 4,300 children, according to a statement released recently by the university.

The university's America Reads program recently wrapped up its latest fall session, according to Program Coordinator David Schwartz, and the service is still as popular as it has ever been.

"We're one of the few universities and colleges that still continue the America Reads program in its truest form," Schwartz said.

All these years later, the university still provides free, individualized tutoring to Peoria children with the help of federal work study money to pay the Bradley students who serve as tutors. The program is still so popular that it typically has a waiting list every year, too, Schwartz said.

Every week, Monday through Friday, parents drop off their children for an hour of personalized tutoring at one of the program's four locations: the Bradley University's Smith Career Center, Common Place Family Learning Center, South Side Mission and St. Mark's Catholic Church.

Bradley students from several different academic majors make up the pool of tutors, Schwartz said. It is not just students who are pursuing a degree in education that participate. There are student tutors who are pursuing degrees in accounting, marketing, advertising, music and more, who do it "just because they want to work with children and help them improve their reading skills or their math skills."

The main focus of the program is reading, according to Schwartz. However, each student receives personalized attention that is based on each individual student's needs. If a student needs help with math and science, then that student receives help with math and science.

In addition to working with children on specific topics, tutors try to teach children good study skills and help the children get into the habit of studying, Schwartz said.

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Online: (Peoria) Journal Star, http://bit.ly/1BYjVUs

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com