Iowa Reading Corps AmeriCorps members are trained as Elementary Literacy Tutors and are placed in school districts throughout Iowa. Members are assigned to one site for the duration of the program year and serve at least 40 hours per week (full-time members) or 30 hours per week (school year only members). Iowa Reading Corps members work one-on-one with students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade who need help learning to read. During the summer months, members partner with local United Ways to recruit volunteers and support community engagement by providing literacy activities at summer feeding programs, assisting with summer tutoring programs, and/or coordinating children's summer literacy programs at local libraries.
Service Activities
Specific service activities include:
1. Conduct one-on-one tutoring sessions using scripted, evidence-based literacy interventions provided by Reading Corps that aim to help students practice and build their foundational reading skills
2. Develop and maintain a weekly tutoring schedule to allow for approximately 15 – 20 students (full-time members) or 10-15 students (half-time members) to receive daily 20-minute, one-on-one tutoring sessions
3. Identify students (Kindergarten-3rd grade) who qualify to receive Reading Corps services based on assessment data collected by the AmeriCorps member under direction from the Internal Coach and Coaching Specialist
4. Assess, with high level of accuracy, students’ progress using weekly progress monitoring and tri-annual benchmarking assessments provided by Reading Corps
5. Record student and program data completely and accurately in an online database on a weekly basis
Members also may spend approximately 10% of their time completing the following projects to build community engagement and promote volunteer recruitment:
1. Attend school-sponsored activities (e.g. hosting an informational booth at family nights and student conferences, helping students choose leveled books at school book fairs, etc.)
2. Participate in site-sponsored trainings, meetings or other school-time activities (i.e. participating in after-school programming, attending relevant teacher trainings, etc.)
3. Engage in volunteer recruitment and community engagement strategies, as agreed upon with Program Manager (i.e., coordinating or assisting with community-wide summer feeding, library, and/or tutoring programs)
4. Participation in required State and National Days of Service (including, but not limited to, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and AmeriCorps Week)
Community Need Addressed
Iowa Reading Corps is a statewide initiative to help ensure that all Iowa students are on track to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. This AmeriCorps position addresses specific unmet community needs related to early literacy and academic achievement. In Iowa, nearly 30% of third grade students do not read proficiently at grade level. This number rises to nearly 35% for students of low socio-economic status. These numbers are staggering when we consider what they imply for the future success of these children - students who are not reading on grade level by the end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school than their grade level peers.
Position Outcomes
Service with this position leads to increased literacy levels for students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Iowa Reading Corps AmeriCorps Members receive extensive training and support to provide daily, one-on-one tutoring sessions for students who are reading below grade level. Members also completely weekly progress monitoring with students to ensure that they are making progress on their grade-level goals.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Student loan forbearance, Training
Education Benefits
GED/High School Diploma
Skills you will gain
Knowledge in evidence-based tutoring interventions and progress monitoring, time management, public speaking, general communication skills.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization