Outreach Programs
Goals
- Involve teacher candidates and trained volunteers to provide authentic literacy experiences for children to improve as literacy users, both in skill and in interest.
- Close the literacy achievement gap for students who are not successful in school with tutoring and out-of-school literacy programs to promote lifelong literacy.
- Study the programs to ensure they are meeting participants’ needs and to offer other communities models for exemplary community-based literacy programs.
After-School and Summer Tutoring Programs
- For students who are below literacy benchmarks, MSMC graduate students in education, under faculty mentorship, create an instructional support plan with the goal to meet developmental benchmarks in literacy.
- Students are assessed, then instructional lessons are taught to target literacy needs.
- Data is collected to support student growth and to share progress and recommendations with parents/caregivers.
- Enrichment programs in other content areas (mathematics, social studies, science) are also available.
Saturday Morning Enrichment Program (SMEP) at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center
The Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL) at 麻豆色情片 serves as a dedicated partner with the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, since 2013. Over the years, education faculty share their expertise and mentor graduate and undergraduate teacher candidates to lead, coordinate and teach in these enrichment programs. These educational experiences support future teachers in developing their teaching craft through project-based and real-world literacies to promote lifelong learning that builds on the cultural assets of the community.
- Graduate Students in Literacy SMEP Co-Coordinators, 2-Year Assistantship. This assistantship includes tuition support and two positions as program coordinators of the year-long , which offer area children over 30 enrichment courses every Saturday. We are accepting applications for the Fall 2026-Summer 2028 year.
- SMEP instructors and floating substitute instructors. Each year, CELL has positions for teacher candidates to gain experience and earn stipends as SMEP Instructors or floating substitute teachers. These positions are available to teacher candidates who have taught in the enrichment classes as part of their fieldwork and have a passion for developing young learners love of reading and learning. We are accepting applications for the Fall 2026 academic year.
Spring Tutoring
LET鈥橲 GET NEWBURGH CHILDREN READY FOR KINDERGARTEN!
This spring, Kaitlin Hansen, MSMC teacher candidate in early childhood/childhood/special education, under the mentorship of education faculty Dr. Janine Bixler and Dr. Rebecca Norman completed a research project to provide helpful literacy resources on how families can support their young children (ages 0-5) at home. The team surveyed parents, researched proven practices in early childhood, then compiled literacy resources for caregivers and facilitators to prepare young children鈥檚 growth and readiness for kindergarten. Join us in celebrating books, reading, and conversations at the Newburgh Armory with our community partners! Take the 1000 book challenge through these book sharing and read aloud tips.
Booksharing with Infants & Toddlers
From birth to age 3, infants and toddlers need daily opportunities for you and your child to share attention with sturdy board books.
This is a special time to show how books are handled and how exciting they can be.
As a caregiver and reader, bring to life rhymes, images, characters, and stories with your child.
10 Ways to Develop Your Little One’s Oral Language and Foundational Literacy Skills Through Booksharing
Follow child’s lead: read non-verbal signals Support book handling: keep books within reach Get animated: with voices, faces, gestures Play with sounds: rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia Question: ask and answer Label images to grow vocabulary Describe what is happening Explain how things work Make connections to child Think out loud about the text
Support Your Child’s Home Language Literacy
Explore letters and sounds in home language. Read books in home language.
Because...
All children can learn multiple languages. It’s a superpower! Home language development supports English learning. Dual language learning expands vocabulary growth and academic success. Translanguaging is natural. Children mix words as part of their multi-language learning.
Reading Aloud with Preschoolers
After years of booksharing, your preschooler is ready for listening to longer books and conversations.
Dialogic reading is the natural conversation you and your child have together to talk about the book. Listen to your child to expand their thinking and curiosities. Share your thinking and wondering, too.
Print referencing is showing how books work, from the cover to the words and pictures, and how we read.
Text talk is an opportunity for you to build word wonder and learn about new words and their meanings together.
Read title, author & illustrator. Explore the print. Animate/act it out. Discuss character’s feelings
Talk about the text. Ask questions. Listen & expand ideas. Keep your child thinking
Browse books together. Observe pictures. Observe new words. Keep it fun. Share connections