Overview

One of the most pressing challenges schools face is that of ensuring that all children become competent readers. Young children who experience problems in reading quickly fall behind their more skilled classmates. This gap in reading skills can emerge as early as first grade, and proves to be pervasive over time. The long-term negative impact of poor reading skills can be enormous.

Partners in Dyad Reading is designed to be used in one-on-one tutoring with adult volunteers or paraprofessionals as reading practice, not intervention. Lessons enhance classroom instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Students benefit from increased reading time, targeted practice, and a rewarding reading experience.

The purpose of the Tutoring Program is to provide students with additional reading practice. The program is aligned with the Utah Core Standards, research-based practices, and classroom instruction. Current research indicates that a structured tutoring program can provide achievement gains for students needing extra reading practice and instruction beyond what they receive in their regular classroom.

Students should not be pulled from grade level reading programs. The tutoring should be in addition to regular classroom instruction with tutors that can support students with fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.