The Bookworm Project
The Bookworm Project is a grassroots early childhood intervention program developed on a shoestring budget in a university-schools partnership to fill the achievement gap between high- and low-income children in the community. Our goal is to prevent reading failure by bringing at-risk children up to grade-level by the end of their kindergarten year. Supported entirely by the generosity of the university, philanthropic organizations, and the community, the Bookworm Project supplements regular instruction with evidence-based early reading assistance to children at risk for developing reading problems. The program targets programs in the Los Angeles area with high proportions of low-income and immigrant children.
Tutors work one-on-one with their assigned students using special techniques that have been proven to help children learn to read. We provide training and supervision in these play-based techniques. Because many of the children do not have books of their own, the tutors regularly give the children donated gift-books to keep.
One of the goals of The Bookworm Project is to stimulate interest in LMU students in education-related careers, especially with children from poor backgrounds who simply need some extra attention and directed help in order to become successful students. Many of our students go on to careers in psychology, social work, education, public-service law, and non-profit business.
Time commitment: at least two hours/week; transportation is provided
A couple years ago I worked with a child named James. When I first met him, he struggled significantly with his literacy skills. He could not focus on activities and expressed constant behavior problems. After spending a year with the Bookworm Project, James could not only read, but his reading level surpassed many of his peers. I noticed dramatic changes in James’ behavior as well. One day, when we were reading a book about the presidents, one page noted that many presidents were named “James.” His face lit up in a way I had not seen before, and he said, “Someday I want to be president.” The Bookworm Project not only helps children with their literacy skills, it gives them motivation and self-confidence. In addition to being “Buddies,” instructors get to be role models. Developing relationships with the children and seeing the positive changes in their literacy skills and behavior were the most rewarding aspects of the program. (Rachelle R.)
One thing that really touched my heart is when the mother of one of my young boys came up to me after our tutoring time was over and gave me a hug and said that “my son loves going to school now thanks to you.” Right then and there I thought to myself that what we are doing here as tutors could be done all over the place for children who simply need that extra little one-on-one time with someone who will make then feel like they are important. I will continue to be apart of the Bookworm Project here at LMU for my remaining two years because I have seen what it can do and the influence that it has on the young minds of Los Angeles. (Brandon K.)
Contact Dr.Judith Foy (UHall 4741), 310.338.4591, jfoy@lmu.edu,