To The Editor- November 21, 2018

To the editor, While students are gearing up for winter break, I’m looking ahead to the remainder of the school year. As a Reading Corps tutor at Maple Lake Elementary, I’ve been amazed by the significant strides so many students are making in reading as they transform into confident learners. But many more need support. In fact, one-in-three Minnesota third graders is not reading at grade level. I’m one of more than a thousand Minnesota Reading Corps tutors serving in schools and early learning centers as part of this AmeriCorps service program. I began serving at Maple Lake Elementary School a little over a year ago because I was looking for a way to try to help my community. There is nothing like watching a child’s eyes light up when they see their progress and gain the confidence to raise their hand and engage in discussions. Reading Corps tutors use datadriven one-on-one and small group instruction to get kids on track to read proficiently by third grade. Tutors work with kids daily in more than 700 elementary schools and preschools across the state, including in Maple Lake. As a result of this individualized attention and encouragement, most students read at their grade level within one year. While serving, tutors earn a living allowance, a financial award for education or student loans, health care and child care assistance benefits, and opportunities to network and grow professionally. Maple Lake Elementary is currently in need of math and reading tutors! I encourage anyone who is interested in tutoring to visit the www.minnesotareadingcorps.org to find out more about the benefits for tutors and the difference Reading Corps makes. I challenge you to discover if Reading Corps is right for you. Respectfully, Chris Marsicek Minnesota Reading Corps Tutor Maple Lake Elementary