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Introducing the START Literacy Initiative, increasing literacy rates for greater Madison area youth using the Science of Reading.
Did you know that more than 60% of people need structured support while they're learning to read? Despite some popular narratives, our brains aren't designed by nature to read. Reading takes time, dedication and a supportive learning environment for most people to master.
Despite knowing what it takes to teach kids to read, parts of the U.S. have built years of disproven curricula into their classrooms reading lessons, creating a literacy gap that, today, feels miles wide. There are current efforts to reverse the complicated moves of the past, but still, Wisconsin is one of the places where literacy is in crisis mode.
Unfortunately, the reality is that most communities don't have the level of in-school support to combat the dismal state of youth literacy. This is where *START Literacy Initiative is working to make a difference.
Collaborate with and compliment MMSD teachers, staff and curriculum to get struggling youth reading proficiently faster than the classroom lessons alone. We want to build a tool for the future together.
Make reading FUN from all angles! *START aims to decrease reading anxiety and negative self-talk while increasing trusted adult connection and opening up a world of possibilities for the student.
Spring 2025
The next residency program will focus on second through fifth grade students enrolled in Goodman's after-school program who are reading below their current grade level.
Interested in becoming a tutor? Visit our volunteer website for contact and other information.
Currently, *START is ONLY working with students enrolled in Goodman Community Center's elementary after school programming.
For more information on elementary enrollment, go to the elementary afterschool page.
The *START Residency is a semester-long intergenerational tutoring model that pairs small teams of adults with elementary youth to improve the young person’s reading skills.
Each student is given an exclusive support team that tracks their progress and works through each activity based on the student's specific reading needs and goals.
All tutors receive five weeks of training in an evidence-based *Science of Reading curriculum, facilitated by Goodman Literacy Specialist, Iris Patterson. Tutors are given toolboxes of activities and resources to use over the 8-week tutoring sessions. Tutors also receive continued support from each other and the program leaders.
For students, *START takes the shape of "Lit Club" where they play games and connect with each other and the tutors while building invaluable reading skills and confidence. Students read aloud to their tutors and the group, and successes are celebrated at every step.
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Elementary students need our help.
Currently, about 35% of third graders in Wisconsin are reading at or above grade level. Among Black students in Dane County, that percentage is only 10%. Our schools don’t have the staff or resources to provide students with all of the help they need.
The community must step up.
It’s up to all of us to come together and address this crisis in literacy. Our kids’ futures depend on it.
For more information about START Literacy Initiative contact:
Iris Patterson
Literacy Specialist
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