Fayetteville State University Reading Clinic

Our Mission

The mission of the Reading Clinic is twofold: to enhance literacy skills among children and to provide practical teaching experiences for Fayetteville State students, who are the next generation of educators.

“At the Reading Clinic, our mission is to inspire young readers and help them discover the joy of learning. Our aim is to build their confidence and nurture a love for reading, so every child in our community has the chance to thrive and succeed.” — Dr. Christy Thomas, Director of the Reading Clinic and Assistant Professor in the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Reading and Specialized Subjects.

What We Offer

The clinic provides one-on-one tutoring sessions from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. We focus on all essential domains of reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Our tutoring sessions are guided by the science of reading.

Design of the Reading Clinic

The Reading Clinic is designed to:

• Provide personalized instruction tailored to each K-5 learner's unique learning style, needs, and pace.
• Address phonics and word recognition skills, particularly for early readers or those struggling with decoding.
• Help students develop reading fluency through accurate word recognition, appropriate pacing, and expression.
• Introduce and reinforce vocabulary to enhance understanding of texts.
• Focus on comprehension skills, such as identifying main ideas, making inferences, and summarizing information.
• Regularly assess students' progress and adjust instructional strategies as needed.
• Foster a positive attitude toward reading, building confidence, and motivating students to engage with diverse texts.
• Maintain open lines of communication with parents and guardians regarding each student's progress, areas for improvement, and strategies for continued support at home.

Tutor Recruitment

Tutors are primarily recruited from Fayetteville State University’s College of Education, with additional support from retired teachers and alumni. All tutors undergo comprehensive training in research-based literacy interventions and complete background checks to ensure a safe and supportive environment for students.

Parent and Tutor Testimonials

• “Attending the Reading Clinic was an awesome experience for my children. Since they began the program weekly, they looked forward to tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If they could go all week, they would be happy to do so. I, on the other hand, have a new outlook on having a career in this field. I was absolutely on the fence, but ending this semester and receiving all the hugs from every child I had the pleasure of tutoring definitely makes choosing this career path mean something. The winter celebration was very eventful. I had to bring my little ones with me due to my husband having to work late. Without hesitation, my son, who is not enrolled in the program, was able to participate alongside his brothers. That was the icing on the cake. It was a night to remember, and it was great to see all the parents and tutors be able to mingle and laugh with one another.” — Parent/Tutor
• “I really enjoyed my experience at the Reading Clinic and being able to assist in their homework and with their reading comprehension skills.” — Tutor
• “FSU Reading Clinic is a Godsend! We’re raising our nephew now. He has an IEP and is behind in school. The Clinic has improved his attitude about learning. Both the Reading Clinic and the Tutoring was an enormous help! He was shown so much love, that even though he didn’t want to go at first, he really enjoyed it. I’m so appreciative of the help he received! They honestly went above and beyond to ensure his needs were met! We love FSU Reading Clinic and Tutoring!” — Parent
• “I love this program. My daughter was struggling with reading, but just after a few weeks, I noticed a drastic improvement. She now reads books on her own.” — Parent
• “I love the clinic and its overall mission. My child benefited greatly from both the homework assistance as well as the reading assistance. We will be back next semester.” — Parent

The Fayetteville State University Reading Clinic is generously funded by the Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc. and Anonymous Trust.

For questions on the Reading Clinic, email Dr. Christy Thomas at cthoma30@uncfsu.edu.