Literacy rates among young Alabamians are on the rise, with the release of the 2023-24 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program scores showing 77% of Alabama third graders are reading at grade level. This good news reflects all the hard work put into education recently, but it also highlights the work that needs to be done to continue supporting our children until they all excel.
Thousands of third graders are still below reading target level and at risk of retention. Third graders below reading level are also four times less likely to graduate high school than third graders who are at reading level.
This is where STAIR comes in. STAIR — short for Start the Adventure in Reading — is a one-on-one reading tutoring program for first and second grade students. The 2024-25 school year marks the 25th year of STAIR partnering with Birmingham area schools to restore students’ confidence, improve their reading capabilities and increase their chances of having a successful academic career. STAIR uses a data driven curriculum with proven success along with a culturally relevant library that trained volunteers utilize during tutoring sessions.
Ayden, a STAIR student, is one of nearly 200 students who benefit from STAIR tutoring. He came to STAIR as a first grader hoping to improve in reading, pronunciation and spelling. Ayden made remarkable gains with the aid of his dedicated tutor, a high school senior named Grayson who volunteers twice a week. Ayden attended 33 tutoring sessions during the school year and each session he would race to the library to pick out books to read with Grayson. Ayden mastered 24 Foundational Reading Skills with Grayson, and he even read the “opening remarks” at his STAIR graduation.
For the upcoming school year, STAIR aims to help 250 first and second grade students. To meet this goal, STAIR will need the help of up to 400 volunteer tutors. Tutors are asked to commit to one or two hours per week for the semester (or for the whole school year). Tutors are trained and provided with an easy-to-follow curriculum for their students; anyone who can read and pass a background check can become a tutor. STAIR has 12 sites across the Birmingham area with some near Homewood at Oxmoor Valley, Washington, and Hemphill Elementary schools.
Find the full list of sites and sign up to volunteer at stairbirmingham.org.
