Hasan’s Story

When Hasan began the Achieve Now program, our initial assessment indicated that the second grader was nearly a year behind in his reading. Moreover, his mindset was not that of a confident reader. At his first session, Hasan appeared to be a reserved, shy, young man who was uninterested in being tutored. 

Every Wednesday morning, Hasan would log into an online session with his coach Monique, a volunteer at Independence Blue Cross, one of our Power Partners sites. Monique was very systematic in her teaching, carefully reviewing sounds and accessing Hasan's prior knowledge before revisiting content he struggled with. For instance, she created a fun "review game” in which she randomly pointed to words Hasan had missed so he could re-read them. 

Most importantly, she and Hasan built a strong rapport. During lessons, they would talk about what Hasan wanted to be when he grew up, share a Pokémon fact, or discuss the fun places his parents took him over the weekend, his siblings, and his feelings. 

Initially a reluctant student, Hasan grew increasingly open and engaged. He began to talk through his thought processes out loud, noting, "If I add an S, it will be more than one" or "If we change the vowel to an A, it would be ‘rag’ instead of ‘reg.’" As their connection grew, so did his reading skills. At the beginning of the year, Hasan knew six phonics patterns; on his final assessment, he correctly read 14. 

“I have tutored kids before, but working with Hasan has honestly been one of the greatest experiences I’ve had,” Monique remarks. The feeling is mutual; in the Spring, Hasan asked his mom if he could continue working with Monique after the school year had ended. 

Monique readily agreed, and they have continued weekly coaching sessions. This summer, Monique reports, Hasan is just as eager to learn and growing just as much. “He is smart, funny, enthusiastic, and determined,” she says, “and I can’t wait to see what an amazing adult he turns into.” 

“He is smart, enthusiastic, funny, and determined. I can’t wait to see what an amazing adult he turns into.” 

—Monique, Hasan’s coach