Since 2014
The Wizard’s Wardrobe - where reading is magic!
Vision
Through literacy, every child will be poised to reach their full potential.
Mission
Connecting elementary school children with caring and dedicated tutors, our one-on-one tutoring program enhances literacy, fosters creativity, and supplements classroom learning in the South End of Albany.
Values
Reading is Essential * One-on-One Tutoring Works * Every Child has Worth
What We Do
About
The Wizard’s Wardrobe is a unique, high-quality, one-on-one after-school tutoring program for students who live in Albany’s South End. We start with 1st & 2nd graders and work with them through their elementary school years. Reading, writing and problem-solving skills are stressed, along with non-cognitive skills such as grit, self-determination, risk-taking, and creative thinking that will hold them in good stead throughout life. Monthly STEM projects create an atmosphere of risk-taking.
Quality of Program
- Tutors attend a two-day training that was designed with help from the Capital District Teacher Center.
- The training covers the effects of racism and poverty, brain development, the 5 components of reading, and lesson planning.
- Monthly supplemental workshops keep our tutors interested in learning new approaches.
- Lessons for students are based on their individual needs and interests.
Strong Partnerships
- Tutor monthly reports are shared with the students’ teachers and feedback from the teachers is incorporated in lessons when possible.
- Keeping in touch with parents is important. We hold programs where students perform and share dinner with their families.
- Our goal is to have all our students reading on grade level by the end of third grade in order to be able to perform well in the higher grades where one reads to learn.
