{"id":16544,"date":"2025-02-24T15:11:04","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.test.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=16544"},"modified":"2026-02-11T14:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T19:38:13","slug":"tutors-to-teachers-wilmu-and-reading-assist-turn-classroom-dreams-into-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2025\/02\/24\/tutors-to-teachers-wilmu-and-reading-assist-turn-classroom-dreams-into-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Tutors to Teachers: WilmU and Reading Assist Turn Classroom Dreams Into Reality\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column16544_44e39a-c2 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p><strong>Dorian Taylor<\/strong> makes reading fun. As a painter and musician who \u201cdid a stint with a puppet circus,\u201d he uses his artistic background to get at-risk elementary schoolers excited about books.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cReading impacts your whole brain for your whole life,\u201d says Taylor, a Wilmington University graduate student and<a href=\"https:\/\/readingassist.org\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/readingassist.org\/\"> Reading Assist<\/a> Fellow. \u201cIt\u2019s so, so vital for us to put in the time and resources that we can to help these kids who are struggling.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When he\u2019s not actively tutoring, he\u2019s working toward his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/special-education.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M.Ed. in Special Education<\/a>. Thanks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/readingassist.org\/tutors-to-teachers-a-reading-assist-wilmington-university-partnership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tutors to Teachers Delaware program<\/a>, a unique partnership between WilmU and Reading Assist, he gains classroom experience while earning academic credit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt allows people who have the skill and drive to teach to be able to get that piece of paper that says, yes, you can teach,\u201d says Taylor, who has a bachelor\u2019s degree in creative writing. \u201cOn my own, there\u2019s no way I could afford grad school.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>An Accessible Path to a Teaching Career<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading Assist Fellows receive an <a href=\"https:\/\/americorps.gov\/members-volunteers\/segal-americorps-education-award\">AmeriCorps award<\/a> for tuition expenses, matching funding from WilmU, and other benefits like a living allowance and application fee waiver.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think the highlight of it all is the accessibility,\u201d says <strong>Megan Schnetzer<\/strong>, WilmU\u2019s chair of special education programs. Between awards and stipends, \u201cit\u2019s going to be free, or they\u2019re going to come out net positive.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students in the program save money and time. They graduate in two years \u2014 instead of the traditional three and a half \u2014 with a master\u2019s degree, elementary and special education certifications, and a reading intervention certificate. During the second year, they complete a paid teaching residency, adding to their qualifications.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re highly marketable,\u201d Schnetzer says. \u201cThey&#8217;re not only coming with a degree that&#8217;s going to look good on paper \u2014 they&#8217;re coming with experience.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process starts with Reading Assist, which requires fellows to have a bachelor\u2019s degree in any field. Full-timers commit to 1,200 service hours each year, working in person with small groups of learners. Once accepted by Reading Assist, prospective students can apply to WilmU for the M.Ed. in Special Education program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt really is such a good deal,\u201d says <strong>Dr. Stacie Zdrojewski<\/strong>, WilmU\u2019s chair of clinical studies in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/indexe.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">College of Education and Liberal Arts<\/a>. \u201cThis gets their foot in the door and gets them licensed, and then the possibilities are endless.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Taylor coaches young readers at Eisenberg Elementary School in New Castle, Delaware, he looks forward to those possibilities.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHaving this program with Wilmington University and Reading Assist allows us to go further and make more change within our community,\u201d Taylor says. \u201cLiteracy builds connections in your brain, but it also builds empathy for other people,\u201d as well as problem-solving and analytical skills.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many children, though, the best part of the tutoring sessions is spending time together. \u201cMy kids just enjoy having someone who is genuinely interested in them,\u201d he says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:0em;padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id16544_044c60-0d{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}.wu-text-col,.wu-img-col {\tmin-height: 114px;}.wu-text-col &gt; 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 margin-block-end: 1em;}img[src$=\".svg\"] {  max-width: 220px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column16544_0f7656-09 kb-section-dir-horizontal wu-img-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image16544_567032-26:not(.kb-image-is-ratio-size) .kb-img, .kb-image16544_567032-26.kb-image-is-ratio-size{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-image16544_567032-26 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image16544_567032-26 size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"285\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EDU-LogoL_PMS-294-750x285.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-19329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EDU-LogoL_PMS-294-750x285.jpg 750w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EDU-LogoL_PMS-294-250x95.jpg 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EDU-LogoL_PMS-294-768x292.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/EDU-LogoL_PMS-294.jpg 959w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col > .wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column16544_311f29-fa{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:#eeeeee;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column16544_311f29-fa{align-self:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa{align-self:auto;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column16544_311f29-fa{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}.kt-row-column-wrap &gt; .wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa &gt; div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column16544_311f29-fa p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column16544_311f29-fa kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin\" style=\"font-size:1rem\"><em>Follow your classroom calling and earn your <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/education\/special-education.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>M.Ed. in Special Education<\/em><\/a><em> with the <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/readingassist.org\/tutors-to-teachers-a-reading-assist-wilmington-university-partnership\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Tutors to Teachers Delaware program<\/em><\/a><em>, a partnership between Wilmington University and Reading Assist.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dorian Taylor makes reading fun. As a painter and musician who \u201cdid a stint with a puppet circus,\u201d he uses his artistic background to get&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":16546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[78,867,413,868,14,15],"class_list":["post-16544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-college-of-education-liberal-arts","tag-m-ed-in-special-education","tag-reading-assist-program","tag-tutors-to-teachers-delaware-program","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":2,"label":"ACADEMIC NEWS"}],"post_tag":[{"value":78,"label":"College of Education &amp; Liberal Arts"},{"value":867,"label":"M.Ed. in Special Education"},{"value":413,"label":"reading assist program"},{"value":868,"label":"Tutors to Teachers Delaware program"},{"value":14,"label":"Wilmington University"},{"value":15,"label":"WilmU"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Wilmington-University-Reading-Assist-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Mckayla Imperatrice","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/mckayla\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":2,"name":"ACADEMIC NEWS","slug":"academic-news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":559,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":460,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":2,"category_count":460,"category_description":"","cat_name":"ACADEMIC NEWS","category_nicename":"academic-news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":78,"name":"College of Education &amp; Liberal Arts","slug":"college-of-education-liberal-arts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":635,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":90,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":867,"name":"M.Ed. in Special Education","slug":"m-ed-in-special-education","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1424,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":413,"name":"reading assist program","slug":"reading-assist-program","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":970,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":868,"name":"Tutors to Teachers Delaware program","slug":"tutors-to-teachers-delaware-program","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1425,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":14,"name":"Wilmington University","slug":"wilmington-university","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":571,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":357,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":15,"name":"WilmU","slug":"wilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":572,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":291,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16544"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19330,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16544\/revisions\/19330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}