Meet Our Tutor: Chynna

Taylor enters the room each day with the same two words, “Where’s Chynna?” Chynna generally enter moments later, and Taylor’s face breaks into a big smile.

Chynna, a Deanwood resident and 9^th grade student at Hyde Leadership Public Charter School, is a tutor with Reach Incorporated. Reach improves literacy skills, across ages, by hiring and training adolescents to tutor in DC elementary schools. Two days each week, Chynna receives training to provide instruction in the five core components of literacy development: fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and text comprehension. On two alternating days, Chynna works with Taylor, an energetic second grade student.

Chynna pushes Taylor to give her best. Though Taylor, like many young learners, works hard to avoid hard work, Chynna continually pushes Taylor to do more. Together, they work on journal entries, read stories, and complete book reports. Chynna finds creative ways to motivate Taylor each day – sometimes, for example, Taylor will quickly begin her work once Chynna lets her write in multi-colored markers.

While Chynna’s performance in Reach’s after-school program is impressive, she handles her in-class responsibilities with equal devotion. In addition to her nearly perfect attendance, Chynna is an honor roll student currently carrying a grade point average of 3.43. Her well-developed social skills and impressive record of achievement predict success in her efforts to become a forensic scientist.

While Chynna must sometimes be reminded to smile, the same can never be said of Taylor. With Chynna’s continued hard work, both she and Taylor will continue to thrive.

Whether or not Chynna is recognized by DCLY, we were so pleased to be able to recognize her work to this point. Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark