Tutoring Program

We provide one-on-one and small group instruction tailored to the needs of children. Each instructional block consists of twelve hours. In the Fall and Spring children are tutored one and a half hours per week (4:30-6:00 PM) for eight weeks. In the Summer children are tutored four hours per week (4:00-6:00 PM, twice a week) for three weeks.

Assessment Children are assessed individually at the beginning and end of the program to determine their reading, writing, comprehension, and motivational levels, and areas of growth. Instructional Intervention Based on the results of the initial assessment, a program is designed and implemented that is tailored to the needs of the student. Parents receive a detailed account of students' work. Classroom Technology Children will have the opportunity to work with the latest language arts software in our state of the art computer lab.

Parent Seminars

Parent seminars are designed to provide parents with strategies that can be used at home to support children in their motivation to read and in their development of effective literacy skills and strategies. These seminars are an integral part of the Reading Center's Tutoring Program. During the time that students are being tutored, parents are encouraged to attend the seminars. The seminars include

• Discussions and videos on ways that parents can facilitate reading development;
• Workshops on effective strategies for motivating children to read, broadening literacy skills and strategies, and improving test-taking strategies;
• A study of the multiple ways that books can be used to address topics of interest to home, family, community and school, offered by the Mother/Father Read Program of the Shelby/Memphis Public Library.

Professional Development

We provide training for literacy providers, literacy teachers, and volunteer tutors.