Free Newark summer reading program still has open seats for parents to sign up their kids

The free Newark summer reading program still has open spots for parents to register their children. Reading Partners, a nonprofit literacy group, brought 500 volunteer tutors to the city libraries over the past school year to assist young readers, but only around 200 students signed up for tutoring. Program leaders say they've had trouble getting parents to learn about the initiative.

The Reading Partners program supports children in kindergarten through fourth grade, enrolling them on a rolling basis. There's still time to join and sign your child up for one or two 45-minute tutoring sessions per week this summer or throughout the school year, starting September 28. The summer program concludes on August 31.

Daniela Palacios, founder of Para KIDS!, aimed to enroll at least 15 students for its first bilingual summer camp, but only managed to get eight. Christopher, a rising fifth grader at Ann Street School from Brazil, spelled out the word "generous" in English and Spanish during a session at the Van Buren Branch Library in Newark's East Ward. Despite the clear need, both Reading Partners and Para KIDS! have struggled to fill seats for tutoring.

Last spring, only 34% of Newark Public Schools' students in grades 3-9 passed the state's English Language Arts test, an improvement from the levels right after the pandemic but still below expectations. City leaders continue to express concern about low reading rates. While programs aimed at closing literacy gaps may lack resources, the bigger issue appears to be getting families to utilize them.

Both organizations highlight the challenge of making parents aware of the program, particularly during summer when enrollment can be difficult due to vacations, work schedules, and a lack of awareness about available opportunities.