UCF\u2019s Communication Disorders Clinic<\/a>, is a four-week course that addresses phonological and phonemic awareness, spelling, reading fluency and comprehension, written expression, and oral language skills.<\/p>\nAn Annie E. Casey Foundation study found an inability to read by third grade is a strong predictor of high school dropout rates. In Orange County Public Schools, 46% of\u00a0third graders are not reading proficiently; 37% in Seminole and 55% in Osceola counties. Research shows these numbers are highest for students of low socioeconomic backgrounds.<\/p>\n
The iREAD program successfully addresses these deficits through hands-on multisensory activities, direct instruction based on clinically based methods and weekly progress monitoring. Participants in the first two years of the iRead program demonstrated gains in reading comprehension and spelling ability.<\/p>\n
Orlando Magic Youth Foundation\u2019s support will allow the iREAD program to expand, increasing the number of participants for Summer 2023 from 26 to 51.<\/p>\n
The program will move to the UCF Downtown campus in Orlando\u2019s urban core, blocks from the heart of the Holden\/Parramore neighborhood. In this neighborhood, the 2022 Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) test showed that 78% of third-grade students are not able to read proficiently \u2013 significantly higher than the local averages for the public schools in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.<\/p>\n
The Orlando Magic Youth Foundation’s investment in the iREAD program has the potential to change the futures of students and help improve high school graduation rates.<\/p>\n
The iREAD program is supported by 35 graduate student clinicians from education and communication sciences and disorders programs at UCF who will help deliver services alongside faculty members as part of their graduate program. At least half of these students are expected to work in local schools after graduation, where they’ll continue to create a positive impact on the learning and future academic success of children in the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The funds will nearly double participants in UCF\u2019s iREAD program, which serves local schoolchildren struggling with reading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":134800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[16873,1016,18219,3703,54116],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-134799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-college-of-health-professions-and-sciences","tag-communication-disorders-clinic","tag-community-impact","tag-philanthropy","tag-school-of-communication-sciences-and-disorders"],"yoast_head":"\n
Orlando Magic Youth Foundation Awards UCF $50,000 to Support Local Young Readers | University of Central Florida News<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n