Every year, we recruit tutors from fascinating backgrounds. Many are recent college graduates exploring possibilities beyond their studies. Some tutors discover that their calling is drastically different from their field of study. Annie, who originally studied monkeys, is one of these tutors…. By Annie Shupp, 2017-18 Literacy First tutor When I first began my year […]
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Blog
The Power of a Field Trip
By Holly O’Hara, 2017-18 Literacy First tutor More often than not, Literacy First tutors gain insights that are not necessarily limited by the time they spend with their students in the classroom. Literacy First tutors become part of the community of the schools where they serve – they’re around five days a week, and in […]
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Sound Awareness and Shoelaces
By Brooke Long, 2017-18 Literacy First Tutor Many of the Literacy First tutors are surprised by how much more there is to their teaching experience than just the tutoring session. Literacy First certainly helps the children we serve, who are as young as five in the program but we often help the tutors learn life skills […]
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Closing the Gap
by Grace Blakistone, 2016-17, 2017-18 Literacy First Tutor We often hear that tutors are drawn to our program by our mission of educational equity, so much so that it becomes ingrained in their life’s work. After leaving the Literacy First program, many tutors go on to work in public policy, justice, and human services, as […]
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A Conversation with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
What do a tutor and a program officer for one of the biggest foundations in town have in common? Turns out, quite a lot! They’re both first-generation college students. And they’ve both lived in foreign countries: Henry was a teacher in China for four years, and, as a child, Virginia lived in Mexico (among […]
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Reading Turns a Frown Around
All of our tutors are guided by the Literacy First staff supervisors, who have years of teaching experience. In practice, this means that they not only understand the intricacies of teaching reading and the importance of literacy to lifelong learning, but they also help our tutors build strong and caring relationships with students. This support […]
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Education and Equality: Meet Sam Zigrossi
Sam Zigrossi was reflecting on his family background. His father and both sets of grandparents immigrated to the United States from Italy, and the new life that they built for themselves here led Sam to believe that education is “how you can make your way in the world.” It’s hardly surprising to hear Sam […]
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We Call Them AmeriCorps Members
In recent news, there’s been a lot of talk about what “national service” means. National service programs like AmeriCorps are part of the Corporation for National and Community Service , which is currently in the spotlight as the federal budget reaches its April 28 announcement date. At Literacy First, we see the impact of national […]
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Protecting Her Literacy Legacy: Alumni Amy Akiyama Gives Back
When she was a tutor, Amy Akiyama’s favorite children to work with were the most challenging students. “Those kids took extra effort to work with,” she remembers, “but in the end…I’ll never forget them.” She loved the challenge of communicating difficult reading concepts to children who were dealing with the learning disadvantages of living in […]
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What It Sounds Like When a Child Doesn’t Know How to Read
Last month, I sat one-on-one with about 50 kindergarten, first, and second grade students at the elementary school where I work to find out if their reading skills matched those required for their grade level, or if they might qualify for some extra reading help. I am a new tutor with Literacy First, an organization […]
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