C.L.A.M.P. | Inspira

Community Literacy Mentoring Program

The Community Literacy and Mentorship Program (C.L.A.M.P.) is a collaborative initiative to ignite a passion for reading among school-age children with varying exceptionalities and egage families through tailored support and interactive activities. By prioritizing early literacy interventions in A.L.I.C.E. communities, we drive improved individual outcomes and substantial economic benefits, reducing the long-term costs of adult illiteracy.

Overview:

The C.L.A.M.P. serves neurodivergent families with children K-3rd grade with reading abilities at least 1 grade level below, who need literacy support, fine motor skills for writing, and independence, who reside in a rural community.

The C.LA.M.P. is grounded in best practices and evidence-based strategies to close the literacy gap for school-age children with varying exceptionalities. Certified pediatric speech-language and occupational therapists facilitate program groups using research-backed interventions, including the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum and recognized literacy evaluation tools like the DRA-3. These tools track progress in real-time, allowing for continuous refinement of our approach.

Program Structure:

Each cohort will enroll up to 8 children who will complete pre-assessments to determine their current skill levels. Participants will then be divided into two groups of 4; one group will receive a one-hour literacy session facilitated by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, while the other will engage in a one-hour session with an Occupational Therapist focused on handwriting and motor skills. Participants then switch facilitators for the second hour of the program. Parents are provided with a home program and receive weekly updates after each session. At the end of the 9 weeks, both children and parents will complete post-evaluations to measure progress and outcomes.

Goal Statement:

Increase the number of youth with varying exceptionalities in Wimaua engaged in community-based literacy.

Desired Results:

60% of participants will increase at least 1 DRA sublevel during the reporting period
60% of participants will read with a family member at home for at least 5 minutes/3x a week
60% of participants will develop foundational handwriting skills equivalent to the ability
50% of participants will build motor skills to support handwriting

Measurement:

Pre and post DRA cold read. Tool: DRA (Diagnostic Reading Assessment)
Formation of letters. Tool: Handwriting Without Tears

Goal Statement:

Increase the number of families in Wimauma actively engaging in school readiness events.

Desires Results:

A minimum of 20 families will attend each community event
75% of parents who attend will complete a post-event survey
50% of parents who complete the post-event survey report concrete examples of applying their learnings to improve their child's school readiness

Measurement:

Tracking of event attendance. Tool: Event registration sign-up and day of event sign-in.
Results of the post-event survey that parents will be asked to complete via email after the community events. Tool: Online survey