Volunteer spotlight: Helping students build confidence, literacy skills with ReadUP

Jul 29

Leigh Harris has tutored more than 20 students in the ten years she’s volunteered with United Way of Central Indiana’s ReadUP program.

Leigh Harris listened closely as the third grader seated beside her sounded out the words.

As the student read a book about bedtime, Harris quizzed his reading comprehension. Was the book fiction or nonfiction? What was that last verb, again?

“Yes, very good!” she reassured him as he answered correctly.

On a Tuesday morning this spring, Harris read with two third graders at James Russell Lowell School 51 in Indianapolis. The students are among more than 20 Harris has tutored in the ten years she’s volunteered with United Way’s ReadUP program.

Harris loves helping kids shed their fear of reading aloud and discover how much they already know. She loves turning reluctant readers into students who can forge ahead through a book. And she loves seeing that lightbulb go off when a student figures out a word and can tell her what it means.

“Those are the moments that really get me jazzed,” Harris said.

Harris first learned about ReadUP from a colleague when she was working for Eli Lilly and Company. In the decade since, she’s read with students in three schools and recruited friends to volunteer, too.

For 15 years, United Way of Central Indiana’s ReadUP program has sent volunteers into elementary schools across the region to read with third graders who are behind on their literacy skills. Third grade is considered a milestone that marks a shift from learning to read to reading to learn.

Reading and literacy play an important role in Harris’ life – and her philanthropic work.

Harris said reading the news is how she stays informed about the world. And reading fiction is how she escapes it.

Now semi-retired, Harris works part time at the Indianapolis Public Library. She’s also volunteered with WFYI for the Indiana Reading and Information Services, an audio recording service for people with visual impairment.

Over the course of a school year, Harris sees her students' progress. The kids who have perhaps meant the most to her: the ones who begin the year down on themselves – worried they may not pass the state’s third grade reading assessment, IREAD-3 – and later build up their confidence.

“There's a lot of growth and maturity in that 8- to 9-year-old range that really makes ReadUP a great time to work with them,” Harris said.

ReadUP doesn’t just help students with their literacy skills. During the sessions, they get one-on-one attention from an adult.

"... That connection with a grown-up is equally meaningful so that they know that somebody’s caring about them and somebody does want to know how their day’s going and somebody does want to reaffirm for them that they’re special and that they’re capable,” Harris said.