4/25/06 Contact: Michael Tullier, 334/844-1324, (tullimj@auburn.edu)
David M. Granger, 334/844-9999 (grangdm@auburn.edu)

AU SUMMER READING PROGRAM OFFERS READING SUPPORT FOR K-6 STUDENTS

AUBURN - Education majors and graduate students studying reading intervention will tutor beginning and struggling young readers during the 2006 summer session in the Auburn University Summer Reading Program.

The program, now in its ninth year, is designed to help pupils in kindergarten through second grade, especially those who are having difficulty with their reading skills. A limited number of slots are also available for students in third through sixth grades to work with experienced teachers who are pursuing graduate degrees in reading education.

“Children can make surprising gains with individual tutoring by a caring teacher using techniques shown to be effective in research,” said the program’s coordinator, Bruce Murray, an associate professor in the AU College of Education. “We typically see students gain a reading level in seven weeks of one-on-one instruction.”

One parent wrote after last summer’s program, “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your reading program. It is probably the best reading program I have ever experienced! I am a former first grade teacher and always looking for different ideas to share with my own children. I love the idea of your program being so individualized. I feel like every child was ‘coached’ on his/her ability level and not just grade level.”

The Summer Reading Program features instruction in phoneme awareness, decoding and spelling, as well as practice in reading books and writing messages. The program aids the child in developing decoding skill, reading fluency, comprehension and enjoyment of reading.

Teaching in the Summer Reading Program is diagnostic. Tutors begin the program with a comprehensive informal assessment, continually check progress during the sessions, and post-test in the final session to measure gains. Parents receive a literacy report at the end of the program detailing assessment results with recommendations for continued progress.

Students meet with their tutors during 12 sessions of 45 minutes in June and July. These sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 10 to July 20. Most sessions are at 8 a.m. in Haley Center. Children who can attend the entire program will receive enrollment priority.

Tuition for the Summer Reading Program is $60, which includes a parking pass. For further information, contact Murray at 334/844-6934. Online information and applications are available at http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba/srp.html.

Auburn University is a preeminent land-grant and comprehensive research institution with more than 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama’s largest educational institution, offering more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.

(Contributed by Michael Tullier)
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