At the Los Angeles Times Literacy Center, tutors, who are credentialed teachers in programs for their advanced literacy certification work with young people grades K -6. These young people may be struggling with literacy in their school environments. Many have been labeled as striving readers; most are reported by their schools to be more than one year below grade level. Most of these children come to the L.A Times Literacy Center feeling disenchanted with reading and writing. Our tutors work hard to change this with the children who come to them for help .
Tutors at The Los Angeles Times Literacy Center (LATLC) provide literacy assessment services as well as customized literacy instruction and tutoring for elementary school students. As a clinical training site, the Los Angeles Times Literacy Center prepares Â鶹AV Reading and Literacy Added Authorization; Reading, Literacy and Leadership Specialist Credential; and M.A Language and Literacy students to take a leadership roles in school-based, district-based and community literacy programs. In addition, LATLC faculty work with community partners on literacy initiatives that better prepare school staff and community volunteers to develop the literacy skills of children and adolescents.
The Los Angeles times Literacy Center at Â鶹AV was named to recognize a gift from the Times Mirror Foundation. The Center has served more than 3,500 children in grades K-6 and their families during the last 16 years. In addition, more than 2,000 advanced literacy certification candidates have provided supervised literacy services to children in need at the LATLC. The following are some of the goals of the LA Times Literacy Center:
To provide professional assessments of children’s literacy strengths and needs in the areas of foundational skills, fluency, comprehension and writing.
- To provide teachers a space to learn, practice, and perfect the latest scientifically supported strategies in literacy instruction, covering foundational skills, language comprehension, and effective expression.
- To provide teachers a space to create and implement culturally responsive, affirming, and social justice oriented literacy instructional lessons and materials.
- To provide teachers and students access to our Social Justice Book Library.
- To support families by developing increased understanding of home support for literacy and by providing information related to school success
- To bridge the gap between children’s home and school literacies.
- To provide parents with opportunities to understand their children’s strengths and needs in literacy and to be able to articulate them to school personnel.
- To prepare graduate students to take a leadership role in literacy programs
- To develop community partnerships that focus on literacy
See what the community is saying about the L.A. Times Literacy Center
“The literacy center was amazing! The center has great literacy activities, wonderful decodables, and a wonderful child friendly environment” – RLLSC Student
“This was a great experience. I feel much more confident in teaching UFLI and using its resources. I also have a better understanding of the CORE assessment and how to use it to guide my teaching. Feeling much better about teaching explicit and systematic phonics instruction and understanding how, why and when to teach/target those skills.” – RLLSC Student
“I gained so much insight through the L.A. Times Literacy Center and my tutoring, as to how students learn and how to apply class strategies in real life, student centered situations!” – RLAA Student
“This is the most helpful service available to children. Rebecca has been amazing and has motivated Cheyenne all semester long. After tutoring last week Cheyenne would not let me stop and get her something to eat. We had to go directly to Barnes and Noble and buy her a book that is the sequel to one she’s working on with Rebecca in the clinic. She was so excited she kept running ahead of me to find just the book she wanted. I feel the center is professional in delivering a wonderful service to the community. Priceless!” – Caroline (mother of Cheyenne 4th grade)