I am Thankful to be Able to Volunteer at the Lexington Public Library

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I want to share a few things I am thankful for. I truly am thankful for the experiences I have had so far volunteering at the Library because they have made me look at the world in a new way. Below is a video explaining how the Library has affected me!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfxCi_9T2zc

Volunteering for a change! Katy

Here is my video blog talking about my experiences with tutoring students and also one of the biggest problems that I face as a volunteer at the library. Though I've touched on it before, I wanted to go more in depth about the language barrier that many of our students that we tutor at the library face in their schools/ in the Lexington community.
According to Kentucky.com, the hispanic population in Fayette county has more than doubled since 2000 and actually makes up more than 7% of Fayette county's overall population. These statistics show that due to this increase in hispanic population, we need to meet that with increased programs at our schools to best serve the hispanic children and ensure that they get the best education. Though the article says that ESL (English as a Second Language) programs have increased, I believe more funding should be placed into programs like those at the public library to assist with after school tutoring.

The highlight of my experience so far!

 The Lexington Public Library Village Branch website

Happy Halloween

https://youtu.be/glSsKT4fnUg

For more information about the Lexington Public Library, please visit http://www.lexpublib.org/locations/vi...

New Experiences

I have been volunteering at the Lexington Public Library for a few weeks at this point. What fascinates me most about the Lexington Library is how many diverse families participate in the Homework Help Program. The Library has a Spanish-speaking bilingual team which attracts several different families who come from different cultural backgrounds. This intrigues me because 99% of my experiences in life are with English-speakers only.

            In the past, when I volunteered at various non-profit organizations, I have had fairly easy experiences and I always knew what to expect. However, the last time I volunteered at the Library, I had an experienced that challenged me in a positive way.  There was a little boy who was in need of a bilingual volunteer, but there were none available. I told the coordinator I could try to help the boy because I knew a little Spanish, but I made sure he knew I was not fluent. I attempted to assist him with his homework with a Spanish Translating website opened on my phone. I surprised myself by my ability to carry on a Spanish conversation even though I had some trouble.

            The little boy’s frustration was visible when he did not comprehend, and I could see his eyes light up when he understood what I said. This day of volunteering is the day I truly understood the immensity of the problem of the language barrier. I do not know what kind of school program to which he belongs, but I thought that if I – a volunteer who tries my best to be patient and helpful – became frustrated while trying to help the boy, his teachers who supervise multiple kids may be likely give up on him. I felt sorry for the little boy, but I knew that my service to him was vital because that kind of help may not be available to him anywhere else. This challenging experience was particularly stressful, but it helped me realize how valuable our help is, and how much it is needed.

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080521/full/453446a.html

Learning at the Library

I was very excited coming in to tutor for the first time, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. There’s so many things that kids are learning. Mostly, I have helped with reading and math. Many kids come from non-English speaking households, so they come to the library to get help reading books in English. They are doing very well, and are able to read out loud independently, although sometimes they need help pronouncing a word. It’s funny how some of the girls are choosing similar books. Two girls have each read stories to me about Babymouse, and I’ve listened to three different Pinkalicious stories. I'm glad that the kids can choose to read stories that they are interested in, even though they are very different than what I would have chosen. I preferred books by Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl. 

Babymouse for President, a book that a second grader read to me.

The Pinkalicious series, another popular reading choice.

Unfortunately, I am seeing that many kids treat reading like it’s a chore, instead of an activity that could easily be really fun. I know I liked reading when I was a kid! One girl even grabbed a book that was a lot easier than her actual reading level, just so she could say that she had read a book.

I have surprised myself by actually being helpful in math, which is not my strong suit. My first session, I helped a kid with his rounding homework. My second session, another girl had wanted me to supervise her doing her math homework, which was addition and subtraction. I was really glad that she didn't need much help, because the method that she was using confused me. She had to draw boxes to represent place values and then add or subtract. I can't remember ever doing anything like this, but if it helps kids learn math, I'm all for it. 

This is similar to the worksheet problems referenced above. 

It's wonderful to see the difference I am making in the kids' educations. I can't wait to spend more time at the Village Branch and see what else I can help with. 

Test Scores Don't Lie - Katy Estes

Although it had been a few weeks in between my first and second visit to the library, the work was just the same and I picked up right where I left off. In my time at the library I have come to realize that the students that I am tutoring would also benefit with more attention in the classroom. They don't just need help with their homework but also with understanding the material when it's first presented. According to Kentucky.com, Cardinal Valley, a local elementary school that many of the students I help attend, has scored much below the proficiency level for statewide testing several years in a row. They are classified as a school that "needs improvement" and unfortunately that can be seen in how some of the students struggle to do their homework. Of course there can many factors that play into scoring poorly on a test and not understanding homework, but I believe a major factor is the prevalent language barrier. Many students speak Spanish as a first language and english as a second. For teachers that have little to no experience with speaking Spanish, this could cause difficulty reaching every student and ensuring that they understand. Also, for parents who have little to no experience with english, this could impede them from helping their kids with homework or understanding a concept. For both of these reasons, the after school homework help time at the Public Library is an excellent resource for these students. Of course it is even more beneficial for a volunteer to be bilingual, I still think that I (who has studied Spanish for 5 years but is not fluent at all) can make a difference with these kids at least in the sense that they will understand what we work on during their time at the library. I still think that it is the Lexington and Kentucky community's responsibility to ensure that each child is receiving an adequate education. With programs like that at the library, I think we are beginning to make the right steps.
I would also like to add, that in the past year, Cardinal Valley has improved their average test score by 6 points. Though they are still not proficient and continued to be labeled as "needs improvement", they are also showing progress. They passed their goal by 5 points. Hopefully with continued efforts and more programs to help with understanding material and homework, Cardinal Valley will be able to become a Distinguished level school.

Cardinal Valley Elementary School in Lexington, KY