Reading Corps

The Reading Corps was piloted by AmeriCorps VISTAs

who still actively manage the program. During Reading
Corps, children have the opportunity to work one-on-
one with a volunteer to help improve reading, writing,
and literacy skills. Reading Corps takes place at a
variety of locations throughout the community,
including library branches, schools, and community
organizations like the YWCA.
Reading Corps is organized into two groups of
students, 0-4 years old and K-2. The Pre-K students
(0-4) work with each volunteer for thirty minutes,
choosing books for the volunteers to read and then
working with their buddy to complete activities such as
journaling or play literacy skill building games such as
sounds bingo. The K-2 students work with their
volunteer for an hour each and are encouraged to read
the books to their volunteer instead of the other way
around. The K-2 students also spend time with skill
building activities such as journaling and brain training
games.
The focus of the program is not a tutoring program instead,
the goal is to instill a lifelong love of reading and learning that
will help students excel both in their school work and in their
future lives by modeling how fun and engaging reading and
learning can be. The program is looking to have local
organizations adopt Reading Corps sites, especially the Pre-K
childcare locations, where the adopting organization would
supply the volunteer hours needed per week to support the
program. The Pre-K students, who are the newest additions to
the Reading Corps program, have surprised site coordinators and volunteers both by
Students : Pre-K
through 2nd
grade
Who?
One-on-one
reading, writing,
and activities
with volunteers
What?
Three month
semesters in
Spring, Summer,
and Fall
When?
Elementary
schools, child-
care locations,
and libraries
Where?
The goal of Reading
Corps is to instill a
lifelong love of
reading and learning
that will help students
excel both in their
school work and in
their future lives by
modeling how fun and
engaging reading and
learning can be.
their ability to focus and desire to work with the volunteers even longer than the thirty
minute sessions allow.
Reading Corps partners with Animal Services to offer the popular Reading Dog Reading
Corps at Southeast Library where students have the opportunity to read to Leroy Brown,
the Reading Dog.

Spring 2014
K-2 Location Students Volunteers Contact Hours
Southwest Library 7 5 53
Southeast Library 13 14 220
Central Library 15 6 219
East Library 8 6 127
Johns Elementary 12 7 60
Sherrod Elementary 6 4 96

Pre-K Location
Kids Community Arlington 15 8 101
Kids Community Grand Prairie 11 5 44
Grace Lutheran 11 3 31
YWCA 11 5 48
Totals: 109 63 999




Assessments
K-2 Location
Average
Beginning of
Year
Average
End of Year
Average %
Increase
Southwest Library 88.40% 94.83% 7.28%
Southeast Library 87.44% 89.83% 2.73%
Central Library 48.40% 71.83% 48.42%
East Library 77.50% 88.80% 14.58%
Johns Elementary 58.40% 75.91% 29.99%
Sherrod Elementary 56.67% 94.00% 65.88%

Pre-K Location
Kids Community Arlington 60.08% 71.91% 19.70%
Kids Community Grand Prairie 83.19% 84.23% 1.25%
Grace Lutheran 66.33% 83.08% 25.26%
YWCA 83.33% 96.15% 15.39%