ÿÈÕ´óÈü¹ÙÍø

ÿÈÕ´óÈü¹ÙÍø teacher education students provided hands-on literacy tutoring with 2nd through 5th grade students at South Ward Elementary School as part of a pilot partnership program this fall.

The 10-week program ended with a tour of the LETU campus, where the children were particularly excited about the Margaret Estes Library where they saw college students studying.

"They loved sitting in the desks while pretending to study, too," said Liz Williams, an LETU tutor.

The children-many of whom had not visited a college campus before-toured LETU's Solheim gymnasium, the auditorium in the Belcher Center, the Allen Family Student Center, a residence hall, the Education Building and the Glaske Engineering Building, where they saw examples of LETU student projects.

The South Ward children were enrolled in Dr. Kathy Stephens' READ 4203 Intervention and Remediation of Reading Difficulties and in Dr. Julie Teel-Borders' READ 4363 English Language Learners and Bilingual Literacy courses.

Both professors planned the pilot program last summer with South Ward Principal Dr. Rebecca Cooper. LETU students were assigned a small group of students with whom they worked on literacy development three times a week over the course of the fall semester.

"Our LETU students all said this was the most important field experience they've had because it has equipped them to be stronger literacy teachers for their first year of teaching," Teel-Borders said. She the Residential Field Experience Coordinator.

"We are grateful to the LeTourneau faculty and staff and especially the pre-service teachers who were able to make such a huge difference with our students," Principal Cooper said. "We never know what sparks a child's interest in attending college; it could very well be that this visit to LeTourneau provided a tangible experience that will allow our students to dream of attending a university."

ÿÈÕ´óÈü¹ÙÍø is the premier Christian polytechnic university in the nation where educators engage students to nurture Christian virtue, develop competency and ingenuity in their professional fields, integrate faith and work, and serve the local and global community. LETU offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across a range of disciplines and delivery models at LETU's residential campus in Longview, Texas, and in hybrid and fully online options at centers in the Dallas and Houston areas. For additional information, visit www.letu.edu.