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Community volunteers, SCCPSS and First Presbyterian launch targeted reading program at Heard Elementary
Summary
Volunteers Michael and Allison Johnson, First Presbyterian Church of Savannah and the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System started a targeted reading program for second-graders at Heard Elementary; organizers said attendance rose from 4 to 11, books were funded by the church and a church van solved transportation barriers.
Unidentified Speaker 3 said Michael and Allison Johnson have expanded a volunteer effort into a targeted reading program for second-graders at Heard Elementary in partnership with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) and First Presbyterian Church of Savannah.
Program organizers said the tutoring sessions meet twice a week for an extra hour of focused reading practice and use books purchased through fundraising by First Presbyterian. "It's an extra hour twice a week," Unidentified Speaker 3 said. Organizers reported early participation growth, from four children at the start to 11 at the time of the presentation.
Speakers highlighted both practical and instructional supports. Unidentified Speaker 4 described close alignment with school priorities, shared training and common materials designed to reinforce classroom instruction. Unidentified Speaker 4 said the church provided a van after the district flagged transportation as a barrier; that vehicle, organizers said, resolved the logistical obstacle to holding the program at an off-site location.
Participants and family members gave anecdotal examples of progress. Unidentified Speaker 3 said Susie and Richard Owsley's grandson, Jaden, "is already reaping the rewards" of the tutoring; Unidentified Speaker 6 described Jaden as more patient and less frustrated when working on unfamiliar words. Unidentified Speaker 7 recounted a brief anecdote about Jaden asking his grandmother how much she would pay him for reading a book, which organizers used to illustrate increased motivation.
Organizers said they plan to analyze student data to measure impact and guide potential expansion. "Literacy is our North Star," Unidentified Speaker 3 said, framing the partnership's goal. Ken Slantz identified himself at the end of the presentation as representing SCCPSS.
Details not specified in the presentation include the exact amount raised by First Presbyterian to buy books and any formal before-and-after reading scores; organizers said they will examine data to quantify outcomes going forward.
