Literacy Programs for Elementary Students

The Sheard Literacy Center offers two programs designed for elementary students, the Literacy Mentoring program and the America Reads Challenge.

Literacy Mentoring Program

Mission: This after-school literacy program strives to provide local children, grades K-8, free mentoring services in the hopes that  they will develop a life-long love of literacy.

Collaborative Partners: SUNY Potsdam departments of Literacy and Childhood Education, local school districts, graduate assistants, work study students, and the Potsdam Big M Supermarket.

Responsibilities of Mentors:

  • Work one-on-one with an elementary/middle school student
  • Write a lesson plan for each mentoring session
  • Reflect on each lesson taught
  • Be available for all 8 weeks of the program
  • Be available M/W 3:15-4:45, Tu/Th 2:15-3:45, or Tu/Th 3:15-4:45

Applications:

Submit an application online if you are interested in becoming a mentor.

Download and print the application to enroll a child in the mentor program.

Contacts:

Mary Hoffman
hoffma76@potsdam.edu

Sally Barber
barber01@potsdam.edu

Chris Dwyer
dwyer76@potsdam.edu

 

America Reads Challenge

Mission: To unite every citizen towards the goals of ensuring that our nations' children read well and independently; through the Literacy Center, eligible work study students are sent out into local schools to assist teacher with the implementation of their literacy program.

Collaborative Partners: America Reads is a federally funded program set up through the "GOALS 2000" initiative in education.

Responsibility of Tutors:

  • Attend an orientation and participate in an interview process
  • Act and dress professionally. Maintain confidentiality.
  • Assist their sponsor teacher to prepare materials for lessons.
  • Work one-on-one or in small groups with students.
  • Work with the sponsor teacher to secure schedule.
  • Each tutor may earn a total of $1,200.00 (at a rate of $7.50-7.75/hour - dependent upon previous experience with the program) over the entire year (max. amount of hours you can work each week is 20 hours). 

Contacts:

Chris Dwyer
dwyer76@potsdam.edu

Tina Wilson-Bush
bushtm@potsdam.edu

Rachel Arey
areyra@potsdam.edu