News - Local/State - Andrew Dys

Wednesday, Jul. 30, 2008

Students get revved up for reading at drive-in

There's a place at these tables for learning, thanks to concerned teacher, restaurateur

Outside at a Sonic restaurant table, as traffic whizzed by on seven lanes of busy S.C. 161 -- Rock Hill's Celanese Road -- sat hidden faces of shyness. Then smiles.

"I like ice cream," read Marilyn Valle, 6 years old with no front teeth.

From a car parked nearby came the order: "Iced tea, and a coffee."

Then more magic.

"Today is my last day. I will read," read Adriana Vasquez, also 6, but with her new front teeth.

Kids just 6 years old are often shy. But they sure smile when they can show off that can read better than a few weeks before -- even when their classroom is outside.

It is a success story that maybe some saw while grabbing a coffee or a sandwich. Five kids -- Ernesto, Kevin, Kenya, Adriana, and Marilyn -- took reading classes at the Sonic tables for five weeks this summer. Twice a week, for an hour-and-a-half each time.

Schools often have extra programs to help students. The school each of these five kids attends, India Hook Elementary, identified this past school year about 25 children from first through third grade who needed to raise literacy achievement to grade standards. They came from all walks of life, including several for whom English is their second language. Remedial reading money was available to pay six India Hook teachers to pitch in.

But one teacher, Terri Rodgers, had these five students from two apartment complexes nearby who had no transportation to get to school or anywhere else for summer tutoring. Sonic owner Luke Thrailkill opened up his place because it is close and the kids wouldn't have to cross the busy seven lanes of traffic. He even gave the kids cold drinks.

"Supporting something like this, I was happy to help," Thrailkill said.

So through the hot summer mornings, Rodgers and the kids used flash cards and flip cards and reading logs and journals. Older siblings -- including Adriana's sister, Yesenia, 9, a fourth-grader and top student fluent in both languages; a cousin, Estevan Cortes; and Marilyn's 14-year-old brother Emilson -- acted as interpreters when needed. The students talked and went over words with Rodgers, that first-grade teacher whose summer classroom was sky under sun.

"These kids want to learn, we have to catch them while they are young," Rodgers said. "We used the time to build on their strengths. We are seeing growth over time. Sounds. Letters. Writing. They are learning."

For the Spanish-speaking students, Rodgers even used bilingual reading materials so parents at home could help. Marrian Taylor, the schools' English as Second Language teacher, was liaison between Rodgers and Spanish-speaking parents.

Catalina, Adriana's mother, was there Tuesday. She and her family came from Mexico about 10 years ago. She speaks almost no English, her daughter said, but what was clear in any language Tuesday was that Catalina is proud of her daughter's reading progress.

Her smile needed no translator as she heard her daughter read.

Yesenia, Adriana's older sister, reads stories to her sister in English at night.

"'Five Little Monkeys,' she loves that one," Yesenia said.

"Me, too," said Marilyn, the shyest student.

The kids went from reading and writing a few words to many, Rodgers said. Adriana showed off her writing journal Tuesday, complete with pictures.

"I am going to the pool," one page said.

On the window at Sonic is a sign that states, "Thank you for letting us use your tables to practice our reading and writing. We love the drinks you gave us." It was written by the kids themselves, in the printing of children. Each child wrote their own name.

Marilyn pointed to her spelled out name.

Adriana had showed off her written name so many times the past hour. She did it again. She was proud, at 6 years old, because after so many weeks of practicing outside, she can write her name, and read it for anyone to hear.