The Literacy Clinic has been in existence for over forty years. The educational mission is to provide high quality practicum experiences for students who are pursuing graduate studies in Reading. Courses leading to a Reading Endorsement in Grades 5-9 and the Type 10.K-12 Reading Specialist Certification through the Illinois State Board of Education are also integral parts of the Literacy Clinic's operation.
The Department of Literacy Education, the NIU Reading Clinic, and the NIU
Financial Aid Office are working collaboratively with the DeKalb Community
School District #428 to implement an America Reads Program.
The program uses federal work study moneys to pay university students to
serve as tutors for children in grades K-4. The tutors receive paid training
on how to tutor students in reading and writing effectively. The tutors
provide one-on-one tutoring sessions to children at Cheseboro, Littlejohn,
and Jefferson Elementary Schools in DeKalb.
The Teaching Collection contains approximately 9,000 volumes, including children's trade books, magazines, audiovisual material, and teacher resources. The collection serves the elementary education faculty for the purpose of providing readily available materials for classroom instruction. It is not a lending library, and students do not have access to the collection. Children's trade books for children of ages 3-14, published from 1970 to present, form the core of this collection.
The Department of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University offers Project Success, a project focused on increasing the number and improving the quality of mainstream teachers in Northern Illinois who have English language learners in their classrooms. The grant supports teachers with tuition and classes at Northern Illinois University.