Welcome to OCECD’s 1:1 Reading Mentoring Opportunities-
M4RA & AARM
The Mentoring 4 Reading Achievement (M4RA) Program is a program offered through the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD). OCECD is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the educational interests of children with disabilities since 1972. OCECD endorses and promotes efforts to provide appropriate quality education for children and youth with disabilities. M4RA is the coming together of parents, schools and volunteers to support the reading achievement of Ohio’s students reading below grade level. Along with schools providing 1:1 reading mentoring for students needing supplemental reading intervention (M4RA), families can also provide 1:1 reading mentoring for their students at home (All About Reading Mentoring-AARM).
Amy Freeman is OCECD’s 1:1 Reading Mentoring Program Director. We welcome the opportunity to train schools, families, and organizations using a systematic process and structured reading mentoring materials.
OCECD’s program uses an evidence-based model of 1:1 reading mentoring for students reading below grade level, including students with disabilities. Students make the most reading gains when they are mentored 3-4 times per week by mentors using Reading A-Z’s tutoring and mentoring packs. Schools or organizations using these mentoring materials need to purchase the annual license fee through www.readinga-z.com. Families who complete the on-demand four part reading mentoring training can receive a one year subscription to www.readinga-z.com. Independent studies have shown that students receiving 1:1 reading mentoring make one month reading level gain for each month of intervention.
Any school, family, or organization who has students who need intensive reading support can receive our 1:1 Reading Mentoring Training at no cost. These instructional sessions will be scheduled at regional locations throughout the state.
1:1 Reading Mentoring Training for schools and organizations includes:
- 1 day of instruction
- 2 M4RA Resource Guide Books
- Ongoing consultation for questions, etc.
1:1 Reading Mentoring Training for families includes:
- Two hour virtual, on-demand, or in-person training
- 1:1 Reading Mentoring Training folder that is mailed to the family
- The four part on-demand reading mentoring training modules are available by contacting [email protected]
Please contact Amy Freeman for more information: [email protected]; or 419-764-9130
M4RA Brochure 7/18
Reading Mentoring During Covid!
We’ve heard from some coordinators how they’ve organized their program to allow 1:1 reading mentoring. Please email Amy Freeman: [email protected] and share your ideas.
Here is how one school mentors:
“We are indeed doing mentoring. I currently have 7 HS students who are coming over to mentor. I met with the superintendent before the beginning of the school year to discuss going forward with this program. We came up with a plan to have students mentored in 15 minute segments (social distancing guidelines). We also decided to only use HS mentors, no outside help or Bluffton University students (BU not allowing unless it’s done remotely via zoom etc.).
The only drawback is that it’s only 15 minutes vs. the 30 minutes that I normally have them do. We also are only in school M-TH and remote on Fridays. Since we aren’t here on Fridays, all the students in the program are getting serviced 4 days per week. Currently I am working on getting the same students serviced a second time during the day trying to utilize the same HS students. If the same student can’t mentor, I am getting a different person.
We have to fill out daily exposure logs that ask if we are exposed to an individual for longer than 15 minutes w/o the recommended 6ft distance. I include my mentors in on it even though they (for the most part) aren’t near them for that long as they sit across the table when possible, and or sometimes work in an area with plastic dividers. All of this done with masks on.” B.A., reading mentoring coordinator
Create Your Own Name: All schools or organizations are strongly encouraged to create their own name for their mentoring program in order to sustain their program into the future. Students, staff, parents, and community will relate to the program as belonging to them. Following are some of the names that schools are using: “The Reading Zone”, “Bobcats PAWS 2 Read”, “Mentor a Pirate”, “Inspire”, and “WILDCAT READERS”, “Pirate-2-Pirate”, “R.A.D. Read and Discover”, “Readers 2 Leaders”, “CATS Read”, “B.A.R.K. Building Achievement by Reading with Kids”, “Project Pride”, “Falcons SOAR Students for Outstanding Achievement in Reading” and “MSS Middle School Success”