America Reads
America Reads is a national initiative, established by President Clinton in 1996, which is designed to ensure that every child learns to read well and independently by the end of third grade. Research shows that if children cannot read well by this time, their chances for success shrink. the Oberlin America Reads Program, which is run through the Bonner Center for Service and Learning at Oberlin College, places federal work-study college students in schools and community centers to assist children with their literacy skills in the hope of fulfilling this challenge. The America Reads Program's mission is to...
Promote literacy skills in the community by:
• Giving younger children a firm literacy basis.
• Assisting those children who lack the motivation and/or resources to learn to read, helping them to learn to read well and independently.
• Boosting the self-esteem and reading levels of the students who are behind grade level.
• Using our unique position in the classroom to be positive role models, and granting children the one-on-one attention they need to succeed in school.
• Spreading a positive attitude towards education and reading.
Foster a healthy, positive relationship with the greater Oberlin community by:
• Organizing literacy events.
• Providing a link between the education within the college and the education within the community.
• Building a relationship with Oberlin teachers and the school district as a whole.
Live by the Oberlin College motto of “labor and learning” to further enrich our own college experiences by:
• Developing leadership opportunities in the community for college students.
• Promoting the educational volunteer opportunities that are available.
to college students, thereby increasing college involvement in the education of the community.
• Recognizing and learning from the community around us.
America Reads tutors meet between two and five times per week with students to promote literacy skills. How the tutors help children with their reading varies depending on the age of the child and the teaching methods of the teacher they are assisting. Some tutors work directly in the classroom, some work with small groups of children and others work one-on-one with a few students each day.
America Reads gives tutors ongoing support by providing regular technical training and reflection opportunities, education related readings, meetings with tutors to exchange ideas, speakers on the socio-economics of the town of Oberlin as well as speakers on education issues such as learning disabilities and how children learn to read.
Students play a large role in the Oberlin College America Reads Program. Each of the five sites has a Site Coordinator and one or more Liaisons, experienced tutors who serve as mentors to new tutors. They also help the coordinator observe the tutors each semester and meet with the coordinam.
In addition to working directly with children, America Reads also offers tutors a chance to get to know the Oberlin community through literacy events and book give-aways. Each year, America Reads participates in school book sales, community art days at the Allen Memorial Art Museum and the Big Parade. America Reads also hosts an annual Dr. Seuss celebration where each child who attends receives a free book and is able to create his or her own poetry, decorate books and bookmarks, listen to stories read by a school principal and other guests, and enjoy performances such as a student theatre group’s interpretive reading of The Lorax.
