LATEST NEWS AT LITERACY TRUST
Honoring Black History Month: Interview with Kanika Mobley
As part of our celebration of Black History Month, we want to share the meaningful work Program Manager Kanika Mobley does to bring more books with Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) characters to young readers.
Why Literacy Intervention Matters: 2021 NYC Disparity Report
The Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence (CIDI) and New York City's Young Men's Initiative (YMI) recently released an updated 2021 Disparity Report, after originally releasing a Disparity Report in 2016. The report analyzes the following markers of socioeconomic wellbeing in the city by race/ethnicity and gender.
Instructor Spotlight: Christina Henriquez
Our first Instructor Spotlight of the 2021-2022 school year is Christina Henriquez, an instructor and Program Coordinator at P.S. 24 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Christina worked in daycare for a few years before becoming a paraprofessional at P.S. 24, where she has worked for 10 years. With the support of the NYC Department of Education, she obtained a degree in Disability Studies…
Summer Partnership Spotlight: Chinese-American Planning Council
This summer, Literacy Trust partnered with the Chinese American Planning Council (CPC). CPC’s mission is to “promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities,” and the organization has been vital to COVID-recovery efforts in Lower Manhattan and around the city. CPC has a deep relationship with our longtime school partner P.S. 2 in Chinatown, offering after-school enrichment for students and robust support for families and the broader community.
Summer Reading List
As you enter the last weeks of summer, we’ve collected a list of suggested summer books for rising kindergarteners through 3rd graders. Some are classics, while others are lesser-known, but all are sure to delight whether reading under the shade of a tree, while waiting to be picked up from Summer Rising, or even in one of NYC’s (open!) public library branches.
Instructor Spotlight: Pablos Vargas
This summer, we are excited to highlight Mr. Pablos Vargas, a Reading Rescue instructor at PS 43 in the Bronx. Mr. Vargas unexpectedly began a career in education six years ago. After studying and planning to enter the social work profession, he says he “stumbled into education” after a friend recommended that he look into an educational role.
Instructor Spotlight: Nayda Tinsley
Before COVID-19 fundamentally changed the running of schools across NYC, Ms. Nayda Tinsley had a number of responsibilities within P.S. 158 in Manhattan. Having worked at the school for 20 years, she assisted with lunchroom supervision, recess supervision, office work, and other critical non-instructional roles. However, as schools transitioned into remote or blended learning in 2020.
Instructor Spotlight: Johanna Gomez
Johanna Gomez is one of 754 Reading Rescue instructors who began her Reading Rescue journey during the 2020-2021 school year, our most unusual year on record. As a literacy coach, she is accustomed to helping students who struggle with foundational reading skills.
Partner Spotlight: NYC Young Men's Initiative
“I’m a former teacher, I taught 6th grade self contained. I had students who were really far behind...you know 5, 6 grade levels behind. It is really difficult for them to catch up, and it’s really hard to do that with one teacher in the classroom or even two. Early intervention programs are really important.” - Jordan Stockdale, Young Men’s Initiative Executive Director
The Value of One-to-One Instruction
Research suggests that one-to-one, individualized instruction may be essential for many children whose reading is below the benchmark for their grade. When a child works closely with a skilled instructor they receive focused, individualized teaching.
Dr. Katie Pace Miles on Glean Publishing Podcast
Dr. Katie Pace Miles, academic advisor for Literacy Trust and Reading Rescue, was featured on Glean Education’s podcast. Dr. Miles discussed her research, including some key take-aways on how to ensure that students are getting literacy instruction rooted in the science of reading.
Back-to-School Books for First and Second Graders
Below is a list of read-alouds for the start of the school year curated by Literacy Trust program managers. These books focus on the back-to-school themes of identity, inclusion, empathy, creativity, mindfulness, perseverance and resilience.
An Open Letter to ULit Reading Coaches
Dear Universal Literacy Initiative reading coaches,
We have known some of you since 2016, and have gotten to know each of you in dozens of professional development sessions over subsequent years.
Featured in Chalkbeat: Literacy Trust’s Work in P.S. 111 Q
Check out the article below, which was released by Chalkbeat–a non-profit news organization that reports on education policy and practice! Chalkbeat’s Alex Zimmerman visited P.S. 111 in Queens to get a firsthand look at the reading intervention work P.S. 111 is doing through the Reading Rescue professional development provided by Literacy Trust. Read about Eileen Bramer, a paraprofessional at the school, and her experience with Reading Rescue by visiting the link below.
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month!
As a nonprofit that runs a literacy intervention program for first graders, we’ve been thinking a lot about dyslexia this month. For those newer to the term,
End of Year Celebration 2019
Our End of Year Celebration was a roaring success! We ate, drank, and celebrated our awardees at 26 Bridge in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
Instructor Spotlight: Constance Kong
Constance has been working for the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) for about six years. CPC and P.S. 2 in Chinatown have had an ongoing partnership since 1972, which includes CPC staff running after school and summer programming for the school. Constance is their Education Specialist and in 2015, she joined the P.S. 2 Reading Rescue team.
Instructor Spotlight: Denise Pucciarelli
Denise is a Reading Rescue instructor at P.S. 56 in Staten Island, where she has worked as a paraprofessional for 13 years. Prior to her work in a first grade classroom for the past two years, Denise has spent time in a variety of K-5 classrooms.