Reading tutor boosting literacy at Washington

Mary Butler-Fraser is proud of every kid who graduates from her program, but that doesn’t always mean they’re happy to leave.

As a Minnesota Reading Corps tutor, Butler-Fraser provides one-on-one literacy support at Washington Elementary.

She works with kids from kindergarten to third grade who aren’t meeting their reading benchmarks. Of the 45 students she’s worked with this year, 25 have reached the threshold set by Reading Corps and exited the program.

While that’s something to celebrate, some of the kids aren’t quite ready to part with her.

“I’ve had some kids cry. A lot of them say, ‘but I don’t want to have to be done,’” said Butler-Fraser.

Before they start working together, she spends the first session with each kid getting to know them, and letting them ask questions about her. The program can take weeks or months, and some kids become quite attached to her by the end.

At the end of her first year at Washington, she’s looking forward to continuing the work next year. She also plans to continue tutoring this summer.

Prior to joining Reading Corps, an initiative under the AmeriCorps umbrella, Butler-Fraser ran a daycare in Owatonna for 39 years. Compared to working with an entire class of preschoolers, tutoring kids one-on-one has been a breeze.

Butler-Fraser announced she would be retiring from daycare in January 2023. One of the moms at her daycare, a teacher at Washington, told her Principal Libby Zeman was interested in bringing a Reading Corps tutor onboard at the school, and encouraged her to apply. Butler-Fraser was looking forward to retirement, but decided to give the position a shot.

She’s come to love the job, and recommends people pursue similar opportunities through AmeriCorps.

Butler-Fraser said staff at Washington have been welcoming and accepting, and she’s even reconnected with some kids there she used to have in daycare — although none of them have been assigned to her.

“I don’t get any of them. I already taught them how to read,” she said.

Zeman said Butler-Fraser has done a great job this year, and Washington is lucky to have her. Bringing on a reading tutor is part of the school’s efforts to help every student be the best reader they can be. Zeman said core instruction should be able to get 80% of kids where the need to be, but it’s important to have additional support for the rest. She also said the partnership with Reading Corps has allowed them to do more for students without straining the budget, as the financial support for the program comes from outside the district.

“It’s adding a person to do these really specific interventions without adding much to our budget,” said Zeman.

AmeriCorps has also launched a math tutoring program, which Zeman said the school could explore if it proves as successful as the reading program.

Butler-Fraser said some kids are eager to read from the start, while others — particularly some of the older ones — claim it’s not important to learn.

As far as she’s concerned, it’s one of the most important things someone can learn.

“In order to do anything, you have to read. You have to read directions. When you go grocery shopping, you read what’s on the labels. Reading is vital, and the younger you learn to read the more you’re going to love it,” said Butler-Fraser.

She works with staff to determine each kid’s needs, choosing a range of exercises from building words out of letter tiles to reading a story out loud with the presentation style of a newscaster.

The key to the Reading Corps program, she said, is positive reinforcement. She keeps a close eye on each kid’s improvement, and makes sure to reward them along the way with praise and prizes.