Literacy Resources in Queens

Find literacy and reading resources in Queens, including children’s reading enrichment programs and volunteer opportunities for teens and adults.

Queens Library

Jamaica

(718) 990-0815

Patient, fluent English-speakers with a high school diploma or higher and three months to dedicate to improving literacy should check out the volunteer opportunities at the Queens Library. Two literacy-specific options include either becoming a Literacy Tutor or an ESOL Facilitator. While both positions use technology, create weekly lesson plans, and concentrate on connecting learning to read, write, and speak English with everyday tasks like writing a check, facilitators meet with 10-person groups for 90-minute sessions, while tutors meet with smaller groups for a minimum of three hours weekly. Get a jumpstart on volunteering by visiting the website’s volunteer tab to fill out a program volunteer application.

RIF: Reading Is Fundamental

Locations throughout Queens and all of New York City

Reading Is Fundamental serves children through a national network of volunteer coordinators and literacy programs in nearly 19,000 locations across the U.S. (check the website for sites near you). Last year, in New York state alone, 328,935 children selected 1,159,279 books to keep as their own. Visit the website to learn about volunteering, donating, or advocating with Congress to maintain funding beyond the current temporary funding resolution set to expire on March 4.

Urban Word

Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx

(212) 352-3495

Reaching out to local youths through poetry, hip-hop, and uncensored self-expression, Urban Word promotes a holistic view of literacy that goes beyond reading and writing to include societal awareness and community leadership. The program aims to foster youth leadership through literacy by giving teens ages 13-19 an arena for their unique voices by validating all forms of writing from texting and blog posts to Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. Support this alternative to traditional literacy workshops by attending the Annual NYC Teen Poetry Slams taking place all over the city: Beginning March 6, local teens perform their original works and compete to represent New York City and defend the reigning champion title in the national poetry slam held in San Francisco. All ticket profits benefit the free workshops. Additional donations can be made through the website, and those interested in donating their time should call about becoming a “Creatively College Bound” mentor to students beginning the university admissions process.

Also see: How to Help Your Child Be a Confident Reader

Resources: Our Education Resource Guide to the New York metro area

Our Online Calendar, for storytelling events and more in Rockland County and the New York metro area

The Parkside School

Empowering Students with Language-Based Learning Differences Through Comprehensive Education and Support The Parkside School offers a comprehensive and nurturing educational experience for students with language-based learning differences and disabilities. Our program is designed to support the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of each child, empowering them to thrive in a structured yet flexible learning environment. At the heart of Parkside&rsquo;s approach is a robust curriculum that integrates literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts, all tailored to accommodate diverse learning styles. Our team of dedicated teachers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and counselors collaborate closely to provide individualized instruction and therapeutic support, ensuring that each student receives a holistic education. Small class sizes enable our staff to build strong relationships with students, fostering a deep understanding of their strengths and challenges. Parkside&rsquo;s multi-disciplinary team utilizes evidence-based interventions such as The Zones of Regulation and executive functioning strategies to promote self-regulation and problem-solving skills. Our occupational therapy program supports sensory integration and fine motor development, while speech and language services target communication skills, helping students express themselves more effectively and build stronger connections with peers. Beyond academics, Parkside emphasizes social-emotional learning through a community-centered approach. We provide students with a safe, supportive space to build self-confidence, social skills, and independence. Our inclusive community is further strengthened through partnerships with families, who are encouraged to take an active role in their child&rsquo;s educational journey. At Parkside, we are committed to helping children discover their potential, preparing them not only for academic success but also for meaningful, fulfilling lives.

Academics West

Academics West is an accredited high-support college preparatory school designed to meet the academic and social-emotional goals of its students. Our unique model allows for each student to benefit from a customized educational experience to ensure they are acquiring the skills necessary to navigate their post-secondary lives whether they attend college or pursue another path to future success. Students can select different tracks to construct the most beneficial program to suit their needs and goals. Unlike conventional education, this innovative model enables students to prepare for an ever-changing world that requires young people to have advanced executive functioning, interpersonal and leadership skills to become independent and resilient adults. &nbsp;

The École

At The &Eacute;cole, we believe that the goal of education is to develop well-informed, well-rounded, responsible, and compassionate students who can create and connect to a world filled with possibilities. This belief is at the heart of our uniquely designed bilingual program, in which students learn not just to speak, read, and write in two languages but also to think, feel, and act in ways informed by two cultures. To always see, explore, and understand the world around them from two perspectives is the gift of the deeply bi-literate, bi-cultural student. Artfully blending the curriculum requirements and pedagogical approaches of the French and American systems, our native-speaking faculty create rich academic environments for a diverse, international student body. From Maternelle through Middle School, students at The &Eacute;cole are guided through the core language arts, social studies, math, and sciences content, as well as character and cultural enrichment in both French and English for all subjects. In our intimate classroom settings or out and about in New York City&rsquo;s many artistic and historical institutions, using traditional and technology-based techniques, our teachers aspire to provide individual and group bilingual learning opportunities that engage, challenge, and inspire.