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[NEW HAMPSHIRE]
Samples of America Reads Challenge Federal Work-Study Programs and National Service Initiatives
TRUCKEE MEADOWS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President John Richardson
America Reads Contact: Sharon Wurm
7000 Dandini Blvd/RDMT 315-C
Reno, NV
E-mail:
wurm_sharon@tmcc.edu
Website: www.tmcc.edu/finaid
Telephone: (702) 673-7073
Fax: (702) 674-7566
Number of FWS Students: 4
America Reads at Truckee Meadows Community College is being coordinated by the Office of Financial Aid, Scholarships and Employment. We are focusing our efforts on community-based agencies. We currently have two agencies as employers: the E.L. Cord Child Care Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows. At the child care center tutoring occurs during the day, and children aged birth to four are introduced to literacy concepts. The kindergarten class is tutored in the more traditional sense. At the Boys and Girls Club America Reads is a core part of their programming after school, and will be implemented next month when they begin their Year-Round School program for those members on break from year-round school. The Boys and Girls Club tutors work with members aged 6 - 11. They do one-on-one atutoring, and offer a variety of activities in keeping with the theme of the week that the entire Club focuses on.
Interest in America Reads has been very strong. We recruit by placing flyers around campus and posting positions on our job board and web page. One of the most positive efforts this year has been the partnership with our state Read*Write*Now site, the Children's Cabinet. They have added another dimension and strengthened our training for tutors. As a result, a collaboration has been formed entitled "Northern Nevada Reads," involving ten area agencies who are involved in reading literacy. Northern Nevada Reads was awarded one of the Department of Education grants for tutor training, and the tutors at Truckee Meadows Community College will directly benefit from the training program. The training and monthly workshops are offered free to anyone wishing to attend.
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS
President Carol C. Harter
America Reads Contact: Judy Belanger, Student Financial Services
4505 Maryland Parkway Box 452016
Las Vegas, NV 89154-2016
E-mail: sfsssc@ccmail.nevada.edu Internet Address: www.unlv.edu
Telephone: (702) 895-3697 Fax: (702) 895-1353
Number of FWS students: 30 tutors and 2 graduate student supervisors
Number of Districts: Clark
The America Reads Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is housed in the pre-existing Literacy Development Center in the College of Education which is directed by Dr. Maria J. Meyerson, Professor of Instructional and Curricular Studies. The Student Financial Services department provides administrative support to the Center.
The America Reads FWS funds are matched by state of Nevada funds. The state funds provide funding for 15 additional tutors, tutorial kits for each tutor, and two graduate student supervisors including tuition waivers.
Tutors were recruited by advertising on the World Wide Web jobline and in the College of Education. Their training consisted of 15 hours of instruction conducted by the College of Education faculty. Tutors received a tutorial kit for use in their work with the youth. The graduate supervisors monitor the tutors and the director of the Center conducts program assessments.
The Literacy Development Center has a community partnership with the Clark County School District to provide tutorial assistance to K-5 at-risk youth from low socio-economic families at nearby elementary schools. The tutors utilize a literacy competency based curriculum and work with the youth on Monday through Thursday and on Saturday. At present, tutors are working with over 100 students in three elementary schools.
Dr. Maria J. Meyerson created a set of tutorial training videos (14 hours) that could be utilized by others nationally. There are current efforts in Nevada to telecast these training videos using distance education technology.
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO
President Joe Crowley
America Reads Contact: Donald Bear
Center for Learning and Literacy, College of Education, Mail Stop 288, University of Nevada
Reno, NV
Email: bear@unr.eduInternet Address: www.unr.edu/cll
Telephone: 702-784-6306 Fax: 702-784-4758
Number of FWS Students: 13 Number of Districts: 1
The University of Nevada, Reno uses the America Reads students to tutor in the Reading Buddies programs and the Breakfast Clubs. These students work under the direction of graduate students who are mentor teachers and who have been hired from the Nevada Regents' Award Program. There are 13 America Reads tutors involved in these programs. Reading Buddies tutors teach in programs located in five elementary schools. In most programs, America Reads tutors work with third through sixth grade students who are significantly behind in their reading. In a few programs, our tutors teach kindergarten and first grade students. Most tutors work with at least two students at a time and some Reading Buddies programs meet in small groups at least twice a week for an hour and fifteen minutes each session. America Reads tutors have worked with 35students so far this year. There is a Reading Buddies manual and a web site to support activities: www.unr.edu/cll. All tutors go through a training program and they shadow for some time. When they are ready, they prepare lesson plans, and they write after-tutoring reports after each lesson. Tutors meet in a weekly staff meeting at their tutoring site and they meet at the University as a group every three weeks. A few of the experienced America Reads tutors work with the Reading Buddies children for 15 to 20 minute sessions for practice reading their familiar materials and in word study at least twice each week. This additional experience in word study and reading has been helpful. Children are selected for the program from teacher referrals and based on the results of a spelling-by-stage assessment. Periodic assessments incorporate attendance records, district/state-mandated tests, modified IRI (informal reading inventory) measures, spelling-by-stage assessments, writing samples, list of books read, word banks from beginning readers, interviews/questionnaires with classroom teachers, Reading Buddies teachers and tutors, parents, and students. Thus far, we have seen that children at all grade levels have made significant progress each semester.
In the Breakfast Club program, tutors read to elementary students while they eat breakfast. In most schools, the programs run from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. This a wonderful opportunity for children to be read to. There have been a number of benefits observed by school teachers and other personnel: more children come in to eat breakfast, they eat more breakfast, and leave less mess; children hear stories and even read to their friends during this time, and teachers have noticed an increased interest in reading in the regular classroom.
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