Stephanie Roque, a graduate student in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, is helping young readers discover a new love for learning through her hands-on experience in the iREAD program. With a career focus on working as a speech-language pathologist for children, Roque’s involvement with iREAD provided her with invaluable practical knowledge and skills, helping her see the real-world impact of her studies while completing the clinical experience required for her degree program.
The intensive Reading Enrichment for Academic Development (iREAD) program, an evidence-based reading program offered to the community through the UCF Communication Disorders Clinic, helps children with reading disorders develop the underlying, foundational skills necessary for success in reading and writing. The iREAD program will be offered again in summer 2025, from June 2 to June 26, Monday through Thursday, for children who are entering first through twelfth grade.
The iREAD curriculum emphasizes a multisensory approach to keep each child interested. Engagement is especially important with work as challenging as learning to read, Roque says. Working with a child who is hard of hearing, she employed a visual system to help her student match letters with sounds, a modification that improved the child’s reading confidence and enjoyment over time. “Seeing that progress—from reluctance to excitement—was incredibly rewarding,” she says.
UCF is the top supplier of speech-language pathologists in Florida. In addition to the iREAD program, graduate students in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders can also complete their requisite 400 hours of patient care in a variety of clinical domains, including specialized UCF programs like the Aphasia House and Project Focus, a cognitive therapy program.
Roque’s experience is highlighted on the latest episode of Knight Life @UCF CHPS. The series follows students’ unique college experiences in internships, research, study abroad, specialized courses, student organizations and other high impact practices.
