Become a Reading Assist fellow and spend six months working with struggling readers in some of Delaware’s highest needs schools. With your help, one more child can embark on a path to success in reading.
What will I do?
Reading Assist Fellows serve in Wilmington-area and Dover elementary schools, providing one-on-one reading instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade who face significant reading challenges. Fellows teach foundational reading skills to students who might never learn to read through traditional classroom education.
Fellows are trained to be certified dyslexia practitioners, and teach at-risk, struggling readers in grades K-3. Fellows work with up to 8 students for 45 minutes each day, and meet with an experienced coach every week for support and feedback.
The Reading Assist Fellowship, an AmeriCorps program, requires 1200 service hours (900 if part-time) to be completed between August 9, 2021, and June 10, 2022.
Fellows start in August with six weeks of graduate-level training and then are embedded into high-needs elementary schools in Delaware. Fellows transform the lives of students who may have with have dyslexia or other reading disorders.
Benefits:
Reading Assist Fellows receive benefits including:
- A $1,500/month living allowance
- A $4,400 education award (determined by the Pell Grant) upon successful completion of 1200 service hours ($3,100 if part-time)
- Student loan deferment
- Professional certification in reading intervention
- Resume-building professional experience
- Education sector exposure
*Members who are 55 years of age or older when they begin service may gift the education award to a child or grandchild.
Expectations:
We seek passionate, capable tutors willing to serve the students and the community. You do not need teaching experience, but you must to be ready to commit to students for the remainder of the school year.
Reading Assist Fellows must be willing to:
- Commit to 10 months of service from August 2021 to June 2022, serving Monday-Friday from approximately 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in schools.
- Work with children in K-3, including children who may have behavioral challenges in addition to academic needs.
- Become an integral member of the AmeriCorps community and participate in all AmeriCorps trainings, events, and projects.
- Attend all Reading Assist training sessions and events.
- Teach students in schools according to the Reading Assist Intervention program:
- Prepare lesson plans tailored to the individual needs of the student.
- Work with a coach to provide individualized instruction.
- Meet with coach regularly to discuss the implementation of the intervention and student progress.
- Monitor student progress and input data.
- Communicate with coaches, school liaisons, and Reading Assist staff members in a timely and professional manner.
- Maintain records as required, including student attendance and AmeriCorps hours.
- Become an integral member of the school community.
- Help to recruit additional Reading Assist Fellows.
Qualifications:
Reading Assist Fellows should exhibit the following competencies:
- Be able to blend, segment, and manipulate sounds within words
- Show an interest in literacy, education, and community service
- Demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and professionalism
- Maintain a patient and flexible mindset
- Be open to constructive feedback
- Complete an AmeriCorps application
- Submit to background checks and fingerprinting
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien
- Have completed a college degree (preferred)