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¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Language and Literacy Summer Reading Clinic is designed to improve the reading skills of students in grades K-12 while promoting a love of literacy. Enrollment is limited to fifty (50) applicants. The teachers/coaches are licensed teachers who also are graduate students completing their practicum courses for a Master’s Degree in Reading. A student-teacher ratio of 5:1 is the target for the clinic.

Dr. Margaret Policastro is the founding Director of our Summer Reading Clinic. She is also a Professor of Language and Literacy and Director of our MA Program in Reading. Dr. Policastro has more than 3 decades of experience teaching both undergraduate and graduate students in language and literacy at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ. She has worked for more than 10 years on grant-funded literacy projects in suburban and city schools, and has published three books in the last three years on balanced literacy instruction and improving family-school connections. All of the teachers in our Summer Reading Clinic are licensed and experienced elementary and high school teachers who are studying to become reading specialists in the state of Illinois.

Students work in small group settings and receive one-on-one balanced literacy instruction. Children and parents are provided with formative feedback on a daily basis. Teachers design appropriate activities and materials to meet each student’s individual learning needs. Whether your child is struggling with literacy, or is excelling in reading and writing and wants to be challenged, the teachers will design a plan to fit him or her. A series of Living Literacy at Home parent and child workshops also are offered through-out the five weeks.

Your child will be immersed in the following experiences:

  • Interactive read-alouds
  • guided reading
  • drama
  • independent reading and writing
  • rigorous conversation
  • argument and debate
  • thematic units and book projects
  • presentations
  • research
  • computer applications
  • strategic teaching
  • guest speakers
  • author studies
  • integrated art/music/drama
  • field trips
  • book club

The clinic operates June 10 to July 11th, 2024, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - noon. Family Open House will be held from 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. on June 6, 2024.

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Prof Elementary Ed/Read
Chair, Department of Education