Mentoring Spotlight: Alan and Ryan

Alan and Ryan started reading together at the beginning of the school year, hoping to help Ryan make progress with his confidence when reading out loud. At times, Ryan felt uncomfortable pronouncing unfamiliar words. As a result, reading became something that Ryan would rather avoid doing.

Ryan is a perfect example of the positive influence an experienced mentor can have on a struggling student. Alan, a mentor of 10 years, saw the potential in Ryan immediately. Ryan has a great memory, remembering where they left off and often reminding Alan of plot details that he carried over from the prior week. After spending a few months together, Alan remarked that Ryan retains far greater story detail than he does himself. The issue Ryan was facing involved his confidence and Alan has been able to tap into their successes together to push Ryan to overcome the obstacles that come with a lack of confidence in reading.

Having spent the school year together, both student and mentor learned about topics they wouldn’t have had they not met. The pair discovered an incredible atlas, which led them to discover facts about countries like Chad and Madagascar, which Ryan then visited! Ryan took an interest in the literacy rates and populations of these countries with Alan by his side, opening up a new world which he may not have been pushed to think about without his reading mentor.

Ryan will be graduating from 5th grade this year, and with his commencement comes a new focus on the importance of reading.