{"id":74119,"date":"2026-02-24T07:34:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=74119"},"modified":"2026-03-02T11:34:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:34:23","slug":"utc-pilot-program-blends-literacy-training-and-classroom-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/utc-pilot-program-blends-literacy-training-and-classroom-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC pilot program blends literacy training and classroom experience"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"UTC

UTC senior Kendell Wedekind shares a high five with a Brown Academy student during a UTC Literacy First Student Tutors session. Photo provided by Dr. Yvette Stewart.<\/p><\/div>\n

A kindergartner at Brown Academy no longer needs daily literacy support.<\/p>\n

That milestone matters not just for the child but for a new pilot program taking shape just down the block from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus, one designed to strengthen early literacy while giving future teachers something many never get before student teaching: sustained, in-class practice with young readers during the school day.<\/p>\n

The child became the first \u201cgraduate\u201d of the UTC Literacy First Student Tutors pilot program\u2014one of 15 kindergarten and first-grade students currently being served\u2014after demonstrating consistent progress and independence in early reading skills.<\/p>\n

Graduation, in this context, does not come with a cap or gown. It means a student has received targeted, small-group literacy support, been assessed weekly and has reached a point where that additional support is no longer needed.<\/p>\n

In this case, graduation signified a sustained pattern of accelerated growth in foundational literacy skills, with the student consistently meeting or exceeding progress-monitoring benchmarks and no longer requiring Literacy First intervention support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the goal for every child in this program,\u201d explained Dr. Yvette Stewart, literacy director for the UTC Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education and assistant professor in the School of Education. \u201cFirst, we graduate them, and then we can pick up new students who need that extra support.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UTC Literacy First Student Tutors program began at the start of the 2025-26 academic year and placed five undergraduate teacher candidates in kindergarten and first-grade classrooms at Brown Academy.<\/p>\n

The student tutors receive a tuition scholarship and spend about 10 hours each week at the school\u2014roughly two hours a day\u2014while completing intensive, research-based literacy training.<\/p>\n

As part of committing to the program for a full academic year, they receive weekly coaching support from members of the Literacy First team and UTC faculty.<\/p>\n

That structure is already producing results, Stewart said. At this point in the academic year, the young children participating in the pilot are showing expected growth in literacy\u2014an early indicator that they are responding well to the support.<\/p>\n

\"Hope

Hope Doane works one-on-one with a young student during a reading tutoring session. Photo provided by Dr. Yvette Stewart.<\/p><\/div>\n

Unlike traditional after-school tutoring programs, the Literacy First Student Tutors pilot is embedded directly into the school day and coordinated with classroom teachers.<\/p>\n

The experience is designed to run parallel to students\u2019 coursework in the School of Education. As teacher candidates learn evidence-based literacy strategies in class, they immediately apply them with young readers\u2014often one-on-one or in small groups\u2014while receiving ongoing feedback and coaching.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really nice parallel,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cThey\u2019re learning things in class and in their coursework, and they have the ability to apply it one-on-one with small children or young readers.\u201d<\/p>\n

That same-day connection between learning and practice has stood out for the UTC students involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve gained a lot of experience being in the program and being able to apply that coursework immediately from the classes that we take,\u201d said Hope Doane, a senior elementary education major pursuing English as a second language licensure. \u201cSo it\u2019s been pretty meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doane, who transferred to UTC from Cleveland State Community College, said she spends most mornings at Brown Academy before heading to her UTC classes or student teaching placements. Her schedule reflects the balancing act that many student tutors navigate.<\/p>\n

She said the nature of the tutoring has reshaped how she thinks about instruction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it\u2019s one-on-one, it\u2019s a lot easier to give them your full attention versus having a classroom with 25 students,\u201d Doane said. \u201cIt\u2019s easier to give them that support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kendell Wedekind, a senior elementary education major from Nashville, said the timing of the pilot has been especially impactful for her.<\/p>\n

Wedekind is student teaching full-time this spring at Brown Academy while also participating in Literacy First for a second semester, often tutoring students in her mentor teacher\u2019s classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t feel very confident beforehand in actually teaching. I hadn\u2019t had that much experience, so being able to tutor last semester and student teach at the same time built my confidence a lot,\u201d Wedekind said.<\/p>\n

That kind of work requires constant adjustments.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to change what I\u2019m doing to suit those kids better, I\u2019ve learned a lot about how to think quickly and change things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n