Infant/Toddler Literacy Coordinator

Position Summary:

The Infant/Toddler Literacy Coordinator provides literacy resources, curriculum ideas, and guidance to volunteers, teachers, directors, and families in the Ready Readers Storytime Program. This position’s focus is on enhancing the support offered to classrooms of children under age 2 and ensuring that they are receiving quality, engaging, and developmentally appropriate materials. This position connects regularly with infant/toddler teachers to seek feedback and confirm that their classrooms’ needs are being met. The Infant/Toddler Literacy Coordinator also engages with current and prospective volunteers to support them in facilitating storytimes.

This is a full-time, exempt 40 hour per week position and includes insurance benefits, PTO, and holiday pay.

Primary Responsibilities:

Teacher & Site Support

• Establish/maintain meaningful connections with teachers in our program through visiting sites, providing resources, and offering professional development workshops.
• Create, propose, and present state-approved, clock-hour professional development workshops for teachers of children under two. Renew certifications on existing workshops as needed.
• Regularly collect and report data on professional development workshops, including attendance numbers and evaluations.
• Provide feedback on Ready Readers Storytime Program outcomes used in logic model, theory of change, and evaluation plan.

Literacy Resources & Materials

• Maintain awareness and collections of developmentally appropriate, engaging, and culturally relevant book titles that can be used across Ready Readers programming.
• Work with team members to find and select Read at Home (RAH) Books distributed to children and classrooms enrolled in services.
• Produce infant/toddler appropriate curriculum materials for all Storytime Program projects (as needed).
• Write curriculum materials for infant/toddler teachers that engage Read at Home books in activities across a variety of topics (e.g., social-emotional skills, STEAM, etc.)
• Generate simple tips based on Read at Home Books for families with birth-two children to engage in storytimes at home.
• Provide early literacy support, information, and trainings as needed to partner organizations serving children and families.
• Collaborate with other community organizations to support literacy in the St. Louis region.

Ongoing Volunteer Support

• Design and facilitate volunteers training(s) to provide best practices for reading aloud to children aged birth-two.
• Create materials for volunteers to engage with Read at Home books for children aged birth-two.
• Assist volunteers with navigating challenges in their classroom by providing developmentally appropriate tips and practices that they can implement.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to the Ready Readers mission.
• Experience in early childhood education, with an emphasis on children aged birth to two, required. Experience with early literacy strongly preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills needed.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Must be punctual, dependable, a self-starter, and possess the ability to effectively multi-task and work independently.
• The ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple tasks, set deadlines, and complete projects quickly is essential.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills.
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills required.
• Detail-oriented and able to maintain accurate records.
• Experience and comfort using Microsoft Office Suite required. Proficiency using Zoom and working in a database preferred. Comfort using Canva is a plus.
• Must be able to comfortably lift/carry up to 25 pounds.
• Use of personal vehicle required to travel to early childhood centers and events. Travel on a regular basis within the St. Louis metro area required (up to 25%).

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, salary requirements, and resume to hr@readyreaders.org by February 12. The subject line should read ILC (last name).

Ready Readers is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

About Ready Readers:

Ready Readers is a local nonprofit organization serving more than 15,000 children in the St. Louis area. Our mission is to expand literacy for young children in low-income communities through high-quality books, strong relationships, and literacy related experiences. To learn more, please visit: www.readyreaders.org.