Grandma B.’s 3R Club aims to provide supplemental academic support for students in core subjects of English language arts and mathematics. While it is likely that students may learn information they have not yet encountered for their home classes, the 3R Club is not meant to replace your core subject instruction.
What are the 3 Rs?
- In academics, they are – (r)eading, w(r)iting, and a(r)ithmetic.
- To create a more well-rounded experience, we also include the “Rs” of:
– relevance – We want to help students understand how the information may be used in their lives.
– rigor – We adjust lessons and provide enough challenge to help them grow but not become overwhelmed.
– relationship/rapport – A connection to the tutor and peers can help students feel safe to try or make an effort in an environment that might otherwise feel cold or impersonal.
– respect – Students are reminded that we support each other and will not go out of our way to make someone feel bad for any attempts made. - These and other Rs (ex. responsiveness) will create a fuller experience that will help what we do to “stick” with our students.
***Our goal is not to simply help a child pass a test. Our goal is to help students strengthen skills to learn and apply knowledge now and for the rest of their lives.***
How are lessons conducted?
Group lessons will take place via zoom and are 45 minutes per session. We recommend students use wired headphones with a mic. Although we encourage students to sit in a quiet environment, we recognize that some activities may create unintended background noise (ex. a toddler sibling might play with the dog). The headphones increase the ability for the student to concentrate and provide more privacy for the family in the background.
Some reading will take place using the zoom share screen function (ex. the longer stories). Others will need to be printed prior to the session. These pages will be made available by the Fridays prior to the week of lessons. Students will need sharpened pencils, lined paper, and printed sheets for any activities (ex. filling in blanks, underlining parts of speech, etc.). We will be engaging in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning.
Summer sessions are geared for fifth and sixth grade elementary students. This is because fifth grade students focus heavily on writing for one of their mandatory SOLs. However, many students struggle with reading text, comprehension, and answering the questions that have been asked. When there is a breakdown in understanding what is read, it affects all other parts of life. For instance, a math question may ask how much money is left after a child buys snacks for himself and four friends. A student who is not used to reading for understanding may answer with the amount needed to cover the cost of five snacks, which only answers one portion of information.
Grandma B.’s 3R Club is Christian-based since the founder is a Christian and writes Bible-related blogs, stories, and books. While most of our texts will be from various non-Christian sources, we will use the King James Bible version for a handful of reading lessons. The KJV is used because it has been measured to be at a fifth-grade level, and the structure and arrangement of words and sentences (often unfamiliar to students who type and speak in “text talk”) forces students to slow down to read what is written.
Your choice: group sessions or private sessions
Group session benefits
Students may:
- Encourage each other
- Participate in interactive discussions
- Learn how to think critically, defend their answers when hearing another selection, persuade/support their arguments through available information
- Hear different ways to read a passage, write an answer, or solve a question
- Engage in a healthy educational and social activity with peers in a supportive setting
- Feel less pressure and stigma – not feeling like they did something wrong and are now being “punished” with extra practice.
Private session benefits
Students may:
- Work on specific topics at their own pace
- Progress faster in understanding
- Feel more relaxed to ask or answer a question
- Learn to trust themselves to find and support their answers without possible influence from another voice
- Focus throughout the session due to 1:1 setting
These sessions may work better for students who want to review a subject not available with a group. Private lessons may also be preferred for students who are in a different grade or are outside of the average group’s age (ex. algebra students). Yes, adults may reach out for reading lessons, too.
Why are the “Rs” so important to you?
Alarming U.S. statistics (see resources for links):
- 25% of children never learn to read
- 2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the fourth grade are predicted to end up in jail or on welfare
- 34% of fourth-grade students are below the basic reading level
- More than half of adults read at or below a 6th grade level
- About half of adults live below poverty level due to their inability to read
- 1 out of 3 adults cannot handle basic numbers (ex. cash register)
Reading is our primary focus because it is a necessary foundation for education. When a person can read and understand what is written, that person is more equipped to protect himself from scammers and unscrupulous people. Writing allows people to communicate when speaking is not an option or appropriate (ex. emails) or when words need to be prepared before speaking (ex. business proposal). Math allows students to see problems differently and think logically. Although there are numerous benefits to learning all of these subjects, they are all needed to help a child process information, think critically, and give a well-informed answer or argument for himself. These contribute to a child being secure in his abilities, understandings, and beliefs.
Parker, Alvin. “US Literacy Rate 2025 (Latest Statistics & Data).” ProsperityForAll. March 20, 2025. https://www.prosperityforamerica.org/literacy-statistics/.
“Literacy Statistics 2022 – 2023.” National Literacy Institute. Retrieved February 12, 2026. (Newer information at the top of the page.) https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/2024-2025-literacy-statistics.
“The Right to Read.” Retrieved June 3, 2025. https://www.therighttoreadfilm.org/watch-the-film.