Many programs match
children and youth with senior volunteers for tutoring and mentoring. Teachers,
project coordinators, and the volunteers themselves sense that these relationships
have positive impact on children and volunteers, but what exactly are the
benefits? That question is examined in this study of seniors who volunteer
as reading partners and tutors with children in kindergarten through third
grade, as part of the America Reads Challenge. Five Retired and Senior
Volunteer Programs and Foster Grandparent Programs are profiled here, each
offering a distinct model of intergenerational reading/tutoring and each
using particular assets to help children learn to read and to engage senior
citizens in meaningful volunteer work. |