What We Do
The University of Arkansas Clinic for Literacy (UACL) serves:
- Community schools, students, and their families by offering engaging and research-based literacy services and programming.
- Program candidates through the design of authentic teaching opportunities that enhance pedagogical skills and deepen content knowledge.
Why We Do It
We believe that access to enriching literacy learning opportunities is paramount for identity development, celebratory connection to others, and the disruption of social inequities.
How We Do It
These goals are achieved through:
- Tutoring Services
- Course Clinical Experiences
- Camps
- Community-based Literacy Programming
History
In the spring of 2014, the UACL was created through funding provided by the COEHP Dean’s office. Its mission was to provide supportive literacy learning for children, teacher candidates, and practicing teachers desiring focused professional development. Monies were given to purchase books, assessments, technology, storage, and other teaching materials. Construction of the physical space in Peabody Hall was completed during the summer of 2015.
In July 2016, the first UACL outreach program was piloted as a literacy camp that provided elementary education teacher candidates enrolled in CIED 5593, Advanced Diagnosis and Intervention, clinical experience assessing and teaching reading to community children. Since that initial summer, the UACL has hosted a variety of literacy camps, author visits, and/or tutoring services during the fall, spring, and/or summer academic sessions, even pivoting to remote tutoring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UACL continues to expand its programming through partnerships with the University of Arkansas Museum and local school districts participating in High Impact Tutoring (H.I.T) grants. In the fall of 2024, the leadership team expanded to include other literacy stakeholders on campus, including scholars and practitioners in the areas of special education, secondary education, English language learning, speech and language pathology, and dyslexia intervention.