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S O A R : Student Opportunities for After-school Resources 
SOAR is a program intended to supplement the efforts of educators at the local school and improve the reading literacy skills of children in kindergarten through seventh grade. Hosted by Booker T. Washington School in Champaign, IL, the after-school program provides homework and reading help to students in kindergarten through seventh grade. The program serves approximately 40 students. The idea for the program came from the deeply expressed need by families in the Shadowwood community, who are mainly recent Spanish-speaking immigrants, and the desire of Booker T. Washington School, where many of the Shadowwood children attend, to meet that need. The primary purpose is to provide homework and reading help to children who are most in need of some extra support to boost their academic interest and ability. This site will provide a starting point for tutors, educators and parents of the children who are participating in the SOAR program to develop the best practices possible to reach these students. The emphasis of this informational site will be on strategies and resources designed for both the novice tutor or parent as well as the experienced educator on what tools to use, what approaches to take and how to bring about improvement and enhance skills for reading. “Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.” Oprah Winfrey “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”Dr. Seuss |
Morey, October, 2007