COUNTYWIDE : With 2 for Tutoring, They Practice 3 R’s

Kenny De Armond, 9, would rather ride bikes or play football with his friends than read a dumb book.

His mother, Bobbie De Armond, 38, finds spelling a problem. Especially words like pepperoni, broccoli, encouragement and achievement.

Together, they attend the 2 for Tutoring program on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at the Senior Center at 550 N. Ventura Ave. in Ventura. The program is a collaborative effort by the county Library Services Agency, Project Understanding, the city of Ventura and the Ventura Rotary Club South.

“If both of us go, then he doesn’t think he’s there alone,” said De Armond, who lives in Oxnard with her son. And, she added, when her son sees her doing homework, he doesn’t mind doing his so much.

The De Armonds report to different rooms at the center, one for the adults improving their reading and writing and the other for the children learning these skills for the first time.

With the help of his tutor, Kenny reads books with short, choppy sentences: “Dad is a glad rat. Sam is a glad rat. Dad and Sam ran.”

He struggles a little with the gl sound, rubbing his forehead as he concentrates on getting his mouth to form the right words.

“He’s not real happy with reading. He’s real frustrated,” said Judy Vielbig, 55, a former elementary school teacher.

When he tires of reading, Kenny and Vielbig play Chutes and Ladders or Hangman. Hangman, she said, “is a real good one for reinforcing spelling,” and the board game helps him learn sequences of numbers.

“He comes from a whole day at school, and he needs a break from that,” she said.

Vielbig intends to try more game-like approaches with Kenny, because her usual reading techniques don’t seem to be working.

“I want it to be a happy experience (for him),” she said.

Next door, Kenny’s mother is studying with tutor Rae Adelman, 76, who worked in special education for 25 years in Detroit.

De Armond has had difficulty with phonics, or sounding out words. But her problem with spelling turned out to be more of a fear than a learning handicap.

“I was really surprised. If I just took the time, I would spell it,” she said, referring to encouragement and achievement.

“She’s a terrific student,” Adelman said.

De Armond and Adelman have reasons for coming each week that have nothing to do with learning or teaching how to spell food items for a grocery list.

“It’s just kind of nice to talk with someone who has a background in teaching,” De Armond said.

“I find it a very rewarding experience to be involved with a parent who is so motivated to help her son,” Adelman said.