Start Making A Reader Today
Encyclopedia
Start Making A Reader Today (SMART) is a non-profit
volunteer-driven tutoring program local to Oregon
for at-risk K-3 readers. SMART was developed by Neil Goldschmidt
in 1992. It has grown from serving 585 children at 8 schools at its inception to serving 7,244 children at 204 sites in 2009.
The program concept involves each student getting one-on-one attention twice a week for 30 minutes as they read to a volunteer to help boost their confidence in their reading ability. Additionally, the students get to take two books home each month over the seven months the program runs each year in order to make more reading material available at home.
The program's effectiveness is backed by a two-year study
performed at the Eugene Research Institute which indicates SMART students outperform similar students in word identification and word comprehension by nearly a half standard deviation
.
SMART aims to partner foremost with schools that have a high percentage of children from low-income
families. Other factors that affect school selection include school staff interviews, community support, and information from the Oregon Department of Education
.
SMART is currently participating in Pepsi
's Refresh Challenge and running for the $250,000 prize.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
volunteer-driven tutoring program local to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
for at-risk K-3 readers. SMART was developed by Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
in 1992. It has grown from serving 585 children at 8 schools at its inception to serving 7,244 children at 204 sites in 2009.
The program concept involves each student getting one-on-one attention twice a week for 30 minutes as they read to a volunteer to help boost their confidence in their reading ability. Additionally, the students get to take two books home each month over the seven months the program runs each year in order to make more reading material available at home.
The program's effectiveness is backed by a two-year study
Longitudinal study
A longitudinal study is a correlational research study that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time — often many decades. It is a type of observational study. Longitudinal studies are often used in psychology to study developmental trends across the...
performed at the Eugene Research Institute which indicates SMART students outperform similar students in word identification and word comprehension by nearly a half standard deviation
Standard deviation
Standard deviation is a widely used measure of variability or diversity used in statistics and probability theory. It shows how much variation or "dispersion" there is from the average...
.
SMART aims to partner foremost with schools that have a high percentage of children from low-income
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
families. Other factors that affect school selection include school staff interviews, community support, and information from the Oregon Department of Education
Oregon Department of Education
The Department of Education of the U.S. state of Oregon is responsible for implementation of state policies with respect to public education at the kindergarten through community college level, including academic standards and testing, credentials, and other matters not reserved to the local...
.
SMART is currently participating in Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
's Refresh Challenge and running for the $250,000 prize.