Findings & Discussion
Put simply, this study shows what teachers and national service program coordinators have long assumed: that students benefit from tutoring programs that match them with senior volunteers, and that seniors themselves also benefit from their experiences. However, in-depth interviews with coordinators, teachers, and seniors conducted for this study provide a detailed and complex picture of these outcomes. They reveal that the impact extends beyond reading scores to students' attitudes, behaviors, and values, and that the importance of intergenerational relationships formed around reading is greater than reports to funders can convey. The findings of this study make clear that such program outcomes and effectiveness stem from an array of practices, personnel, and resources that guide and support the senior-child relationship at the core of their programs.
|
