A recent AP report alarmed parents. It stated:
“Nearly nine out of 10 parents believe their child is performing at grade level despite standardized tests showing far fewer students are on track, according to a poll released Wednesday by Gallup and the nonprofit Learning Heroes.
Report cards, which many parents rely on for a sense of their children’s progress, might be missing the whole picture, researchers say. Without that knowledge, parents may not seek opportunities for extra support for their children.
“Grades are the holy grail,” said Bibb Hubbard, founder and president of Learning Heroes. “They’re the number one indicator that parents turn to to understand that their child is on grade level, yet a grade does not equal grade-level mastery. But nobody’s told parents that.”
In the Gallup survey, 88% of parents say their child is on grade level in reading, and 89% of parents believe their child is on grade level in math. But in a federal survey, school officials said half of all U.S. students started last school year behind grade level in at least one subject.”
The MTSBC has a tool for churches to reach out and connect with people in their communities to address this alarming situation, to share the gospel with children and draw families into their churches through the FREE Tutoring Children and Youth ministry outreach. What? You haven’t heard about this opportunity?
Well, Robin Nagel, who is our Montana State Literacy Coordinator, is ready, willing, and able to inform you about this opportunity. She would love to talk to you about how you can implement this ministry outreach in your church.
It’s simple. You gather the folks who have a heart to help children with their schoolwork, are called to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with children, and have an hour or two each week to meet with children for tutoring. Robin trains these folks through a NAMB sponsored online program and then meets with them at your church for a 4-hour in-person training to get you up and running. Your folks will be certified as tutors through Send Relief and NAMB. You put out the word that your church is offering a FREE service to your community for tutoring and watch the people in your community come to you. You have the privilege of meeting a real need in families (help with their schoolwork) and you have the opportunity to introduce them to our Savior Jesus Christ. All the tutor training is based on sharing the gospel.
Robin Nagel is also available to train your folks in ESL (English as a Second Language) tutoring and offers training for your church in citizenship classes for internationals coming into your communities. She would love to talk to you about these tools that are readily available to your church.
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