TAMIU Annual Report 2020

OUTREACH This Spring, the TAMIU-LBV Literacy Partnership launched its own early literacy channel onYou- Tube to support young children’s early literacy activities at home or in virtual classrooms andmore broadly provide learning resources for parents and teachers. The TAMIU-LBVLiteracy Partner- ship is a community engagement initiative of TAMIU, fundedby the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust . The channel is free and avail- able to the public nationwide at: go.tamiu.edu/ar20-lpyoutube Uploadedwith 100 instructional videos createdby TAMIU-LBVPart- nership tutors, the channel’s fun, quick videos encourage greater comprehension of popular, read- aloud stories among children. They include higher-order questions, vivid pictures, and a writing opportunity, said Dr. Xuesong Wang , TAMIUassociate professor of Education andTAMIU-LBVPartnership executive director. The videos are also designed to aid teachers and families with Accelerated Reader (A.R.) programs, Dr. Wang noted. “The TAMIU-LBV Partnership’s YouTube channel provides rich resources for parents and teachers to support young children’s early literacy activities at home or in virtual classrooms,” she explained, “We strive for the success of struggling readers in South Texas, as well as those in other states.” The YouTube channel alsoprovides educatorswithmodel lessons and information to enrich their early literacy instruction, Dr.Wang said. TAMIU-LBV LITERACY PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES YOUTUBE CHANNEL SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S EARLY LITERACY Geared towards kindergarten to secondgrade, teachers canwatch model lessons of small group instruction and learn more about the intervention resources created by the Partnership. Viewers can also find information about tutoring services, tes- timonies from Partnership campus administrators, and previous Partnership events. Plans for the channel include expanding the instructional video library with more educational resources and literary activities. The collaborative effort includes Laredo College, Laredo Inde- pendent School District, and United ISD. Together, the TAMIU-LBV Partnership has established a total of nine Literacy Centers at eight elementary schools to better promote grade-level reading in early elementary years. Since 2015, using a research-based intervention model, the TAMIU-LBV Partnership has assisted thousands of struggling young readers. Somewere 1.5 to 2 years behind their peers in terms of literacy development, but through these interventions these young students have closed the gap and improved literacy developmentmeasurably. 29