Student Success is Powerful Fuel

Finding Success – Where They Least Expect It

Sevan, newly arrived from Armenia, found himself in a California third grade classroom halfway through the school year, unable to read English at a kindergarten level. He didn’t know the alphabet and had trouble understanding two-step directions (such as “erase that and write on the next line”). Teachers mostly found him simply staring off into space. He was far behind his classmates,  and the lack of success was demoralizing. Without extra support, school was a place to feel increasingly frustrated, and he struggled to pay attention to material he couldn’t understand. 

Entering the 4th grade, without any progress, Sevan needed reading intervention, and J3 was ready to help. After only 10 in-school sessions, Sevan can now write simple words. His reading coach , Kim, shares: When he writes [a word] he spontaneously yells it out, “JET J-E-T!” and then throws his hands in the air and spins enthusiastically in a circle…he is SO PROUD to read simple books accurately.” Sevan has mastered several early reader books and is now excited to come not just to J3, but to his classroom as well. 

Kim, who coaches Sevan and other developing readers, shares in their joy. “It’s pretty incredible to see these kinds of successes happening so quickly!”

 The one-two punch of low skills and lack of confidence can double a child’s chances of future unemployment. J3 meets young readers where they are, teaching them fundamental skills that let them read and progress—and then celebrating their success. School becomes the place where they grow, learn, and enjoy every win. 

Another J3 reading coach, Kathy, is delighted to share her student Jonathan’s story: 

When he was sent to me for his assessment, the first words out of his mouth were, “I can’t read.” He was right; in the entire assessment, he was only able to read two words. 

He joined my intervention group, and after only 8 sessions he surprised me by announcing excitedly: “Miss Kathy, I can read 160 words now!”

After that, my little group started tracking our new words and celebrating every time we read 50 more words. 

I just love how this student, who could only read 2 words in the beginning, has become quite the mathematician, calculating how many new words we have at the end of each lesson. He’s so proud of his progress.

 He’ll say, “Miss Kathy, how many words did we learn in that lesson?!’ And this week, he came to me and exclaimed, “I could read math problems without Mrs. Ortiz!” They’re getting it. It’s working.

Kathy adds: “These kids – they might not have ever been celebrated academically. These are the kids who are not getting good grades, so they don’t get celebrated for this at home or school. But at J3, every win is a big win!” 

The Life-Changing Power of Literacy

Donors have helped J3 expand, and they’ve reached about 240 more students this year than last – but the demand for services is growing fast. The influx of students who read at drastically lower levels means J3’s crucial reading intervention program needs hundreds more lower-level reading books. Your support does more than buy books; it changes lives.

Donate today to join Sevan and so many more children in celebrating another win.