America Reads

NAU’s College of Education is a proud partner in this literacy program to benefit Flagstaff’s youth

America Reads is a national initiative, established by President Clinton in 1996, 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 hopes of fulfilling this challenge.

The mission of the America Reads program 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, by helping them learn to read well and independently.
• Boosting the self-esteem and reading levels of 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.

Become an America Reads tutor

The fundamental purpose of the America Reads program at Northern Arizona University is to complement and expand existing literacy efforts to help children increase their skills and achievement levels, and to provide extended learning time to children who need additional help in reading.

America Reads employs Northern Arizona University undergraduate students from the Flagstaff mountain campus who are federal work study eligible.

Placements are made at schools within the Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) and in the Flagstaff Public Library after-school program.  Tutors must be competent in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary building, spelling, reading comprehension, and fluency.  Additionally, tutors may be asked to work with basic K-3 math concepts.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be awarded federal work study, have experience working with children in a formal setting (not babysitting or other informal settings), a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and must reside in the Flagstaff area. Apply online at NAU Handshake. Please carefully read the description and instructions to apply.

Tutors are hired at the beginning of each term.

After school tutoring program

America Reads will be providing our free after school tutoring program for the 2017-2018 school year, for grades K-5. If you are interested, please download an application and submit by email or drop the application off at the Flagstaff Public Library, where the program will be held. Please remember that in order for your child to obtain all the benefits of this program, he/she must be signed up for at least twice weekly tutoring sessions.

Summer reading program

Northern Arizona University’s America Reads program offers a free tutoring program located at the downtown Flagstaff Public Library branch (youth services) every summer.

**More information regarding our 2018 summer program will be available April 1st.