After school program improves reading

Putnam County students can get intensive reading help at Gobin United Methodist Church on the DePauw University campus. Registration for the After-School Enrichment begins from 3-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4 and continues through Thursday, Sept. 6.

This program is for elementary and secondary students and is offered by the Reading Improvement Center. Students meet twice each week for one and a half hours of individual instruction with trained tutors from DePauw. Sessions are scheduled after school between the hours of 3 and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Tutoring begins Monday, Sept. 10 and runs until DePauw classes end in December.

This is the sixth year that the center has offered intensive reading instruction. The early intervention program helps elementary students building decoding skills with "Sound Effects: games and actives developed for tutors by Development Director Ellen Dittmer. Older students work on reading with study skills and vocabulary-based tutoring from texts.

The Reading Improvement Center has helped Putnam County students since 1987. It is an agency of the United Way of Putnam County, with additional support from Greencastle schools, contributions from individuals and organizations, and the generosity of Gobin United Memorial Methodist Church.

There is a monthly charge, with reduced fees available. For more information, call Program Director Erin Bossnack at 658-4062.