Literacy First

Literacy First is an AmeriCorps program that provides trained tutors for students in kindergarten through Grade 2 in the Austin, Texas, area. The program is designed to strengthen students' early reading and comprehension skills (e.g., phonemic awareness, letter sound identification) through daily, 30-minute one-on-one tutoring sessions. Students reading below grade level are identified each fall and receive tutoring across the school year. Literacy First tutors are highly trained volunteers who receive more than 70 hours of training in best practices, as well as weekly follow-up visits from Literacy First experts and coaches. The program uses a response-to-intervention model, with benchmark assessments (which take place three times per year) and weekly progress monitoring to guide instruction. Fifty percent of Literacy First's tutors are bilingual, allowing the program to provide support to both Spanish- and English-speaking students.