Organically Grown: Development of the Georgia State University Urban Literacy Clinic

As an hour and a half of literacy instruction, skills demonstrations, and discussion of course content concludes, someone calls out: “Here they come!" -- and the energy in the auditorium-style clinic space skyrockets, fueled by movement, smiles, laughter, and most of all, by the electrifying eye contact between students and tutors. For the next hour and fifteen minutes, individualized tutoring sessions are taught while master-level teachers observe lessons and offer feedback to the new teachers. Doctoral students lead parents in workshops focused on family literacy practices, and the university faculty instructor monitors progress and videotapes literacy session segments for future instruction. This is a typical evening at one of many literacy sessions at the Georgia State University Urban Literacy Clinic (ULC).