America Reads

The America Reads Program provides a campus employment opportunity for Denison University students with Federal Work Study awards to interact with children and teachers in the surrounding communities.

America Reads tutors work at 11 partner schools throughout Licking County, tutoring students in grades K-3. These schools vary from schools in downtown Newark to schools in rural Licking County. Tutors make a difference by assisting elementary students in reading, providing extra one-on-one attention, and serving as role models.

America Reads began in 1997 as a government initiative to increase the reading proficiency of America’s youth. The program’s goal is to ensure that all children can read well and independently by the end of the third grade.

Who are Denison America Reads Tutors?

America Reads tutors are Denison students who tutor through this program as part of their paid campus job. They receive funds through the federal work-study program in order to help pay for college. Tutors come from all over the country and have diverse interests. Some are education majors, but most are majoring in other fields.

What do tutors typically do?

Tutors primarily work with students on reading skills, but can also tutor in math or other subjects. Sometimes, tutors work with an individual student in the hall or corner of the classroom. Other times, tutors work with a small group of students on a common activity. Tutors sometimes “float work”, or staff rotating activity centers.

Tutors try to be flexible and responsive to the needs of individual teachers, students, and schools. The program is designed for tutors to work directly with students, not to do classroom chores.