Wisdom, Knowledge of Elders Stream Into Area Classrooms

When she was about their age, Shear told them, she had nightmares after seeing photos of concentration camp survivors. "Those people were practically skeletons," Shear said.

Glenna Orr, a reading teacher who coordinates the volunteer efforts at Hollin Meadows and is publishing a book on intergenerational learning, said similar mini-lessons play out frequently as the volunteers draw on years of experience to tell the children about the civil rights movement or life in another country. "Sometimes they have lived the history in the books," Orr said.

The number of U.S. residents 65 and older is increasing dramatically -- from 35 million in 2000 to a projected 54 million in 2020 -- prompting worries about surging Social Security and Medicare costs. But educators such as Orr look at the same statistics and see a growing number of willing volunteers who have the time, talent and energy to help kids learn.

"I see this wealth of knowledge and wealth of expertise," Orr said. "They are competent, and they're educated and they've had interesting lives."

LeRoy M. Owens, Birney's principal, said the volunteers have helped the school, where more than 90 percent of the 410 students come from poor families.

"They come in free of charge. They pull students from the classrooms. They act as role models," Owens said. "Without them, this type of individualized instruction would be almost impossible. It's a service that we could not afford."

One recent afternoon, Virginia Major, a retired geologist who keeps a stash of SpongeBob SquarePants stickers handy, helped Derkwon Johnson learn to read. As the first-grader cut and pasted pictures in a workbook, Major, 65, quizzed him about each one: foot, fork, fence, the number five.

"What do you use a fork for?" Major asked.

"To eat your food," Derkwon said.

"That's right," Major said. "You did great."

LaShauntra Tilley, 7, began working with one of the tutors after her first-grade report card had C's and D's, said her mother, Brenda Tilley, 33. Now the second-grader is earning A's and B's, and she's enjoying reading more.

Education experts said that although pairing seniors with kids can benefit both groups, it takes cooperation from the school and volunteers willing to devote time to make a successful program. Experience Corps, a national group that runs the program at Birney, has paid coordinators.