We Have an Opportunity in Our Schools That Will Help Children with Their Math and Reading Skills.
The fall iRead program has almost 160 community members who volunteered and are making a difference in helping students with their reading competencies through December 6, 2024.
The spring 2025 iRead Program is taking place March 4 - May 9, 2025.
We will need numerous volunteers in both Champaign and Urbana schools to help the hundreds of students who need extra assistance with their reading competencies. Volunteers fluent in Spanish and French are encouraged to volunteer at our schools with dual-language programs.
If you are interested in volunteering this fall, please click the link below to get a PDF application. Then print, complete, and send it to the school district as directed on the cover letter. Repeat volunteers will just need to complete the first page of the application.
Please consider volunteering to help make a difference in our community!
Application Deadline for the spring 2025 program: January 24, 2025
Here’s How our Young Students are Performing as of 2023:
Champaign Unit 4 3rd Grade State Test Score Data 2023:
22.9 percent of students can meet or exceed in reading
27.2 percent of students can meet or exceed in math
Overall Illinois 3rd Grade State Test Score Data 2023:
28.8 percent of students can meet or exceed in reading
33 percent of students can meet or exceed in math
Urbana District 116 3rd Grade State Test Score Data 2023:
7.9 percent of students can meet or exceed in reading
11.1 percent of students can meet or exceed in math
We Can Do Better for Our Community. We Have to Do Better for Our Community.
We have the responsibility and ability to help the future workforce generation succeed by strengthening the foundation for literacy and math education for our youngest, most vulnerable students now.
To answer this need, the iRead Program is offered in the spring and the iCount Program is offered in the fall at Champaign and Urbana primary schools.
- The iRead ● iCount Program puts community volunteers into primary school classrooms to spend one hour a week working directly with early learners to help with their basic reading and math skills.
- A weekly, one-hour commitment by volunteers can make a world of difference to the children who are having difficulties with their early learning competencies.
We Need Your Help to Scale Up the Program to Assist More Children this Fall. Can We Count on You for an Hour of Your Time?
- We will need hundreds lot of volunteers to assist young students in both kindergarten and first grade with their reading skills this spring.
- All volunteers can choose their schools and times and will be fully trained.
- The reward of helping a child build these skills is immeasurable.
If you are interested in volunteering, please click the link at the top of this page for which school district you would like to volunteer for.
Can We (i)Count on You?
If we want a prepared workforce for our future, we need to build the foundation now. And, it will take the community to build this foundation. We hope we can count on you to help!
Questions? Please contact Cheryl Barringer at ireadicount@champaigncounty.org or call 217-359-1791.
Teacher Testimonials
“The students love having a special guest to learn one-on-one with them, and each tutor is so friendly that the students always have a smile on their face when they are working together. ”
Sara Abbott, 1st Grade Teacher, Urbana District 116
Straight from the students’ mouths:
Laila - “I like the game mouse eater.”
Sanaa - “I like the sandbox because you write words in it.”
Eli - “I like spelling words and then I got better and better.”
Jamie - “I like when we play the games like learning cards.”
Anton - “I like doing my ABCs.”
Susie Myers, 1st Grade Teacher, Urbana District 116
“Whoever scheduled the iRead tutor group, THANK YOU a million times over!! The volunteers have been so kind, helpful, my students love them, and it is so nice they have a routine that we don’t have to prep for. Thank you SOOOOO much, we are beyond grateful :)”
Katelyn Shamhart, 1st Grade Teacher, Champaign Unit 4
Questions about the iRead • iCount program?
Contact
Cheryl Barringer, iRead • iCount® Coordinator at ireadicount@champaigncounty.org or call 217.359.1791
