Become A Volunteer Reading Tutor
Help kids in your community stay on track for graduation and achieve lifelong success
In just a few hours a week, you can help young children become better readers at a critical time in their lives.
Children who are reading by third grade are far more likely to graduate from high school, attend and complete college, earn higher incomes, and enjoy a brighter future.
By volunteering as a tutor, you’ll give children the foundational reading skills they need to build a secure financial future.
What Is It Like To Volunteer?
Watching a child’s eyes light up when they “get it” is a wonderful feeling. Even better? Using your valuable experience. Our volunteers feel more useful and connected, with 96% reporting a greater sense of purpose.
Experience Corps tutors dedicate just a few hours each week to help young learners build essential reading skills for a bright future. You’ll receive thorough training and all necessary materials from us.
Watch this video to get an inside look at the rewarding experience of being a volunteer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does tutoring really make an impact?
Absolutely! Educators and researchers agree that tutoring can make a real difference, especially when it’s delivered one-on-one or in a small group, is led by educators or well-trained tutors, and is offered at least twice a week, like Experience Corps.
Students who worked one-to-one with Experience Corps Tutors for a single school year saw more than 60 percent greater gains in critical literacy skills compared with students not served by the program.
Experience Corps focuses on helping students to read by third grade because it’s an especially important year. Up until then, children are learning to read. But in fourth grade, they need to be able to read to learn.
The Experience Corps tutoring model includes a well-defined session structure, the main purpose of which is to provide targeted practice in skills critical to comprehension and overall reading.
The core program and our Volunteer Tutors focus on fluency, a set of foundational skills that are essential to developing literacy. Multiple rigorous studies have shown fluency to be highly correlated to overall reading ability of elementary school students.
What is the time commitment?
After completing the 10 hour training, Volunteer Tutors should plan on spending up to seven hours a week tutoring students. Tutoring sessions will occur two days a week during the school year, starting in the fall and continuing through late spring.
In addition to tutoring during two to three 30-minute sessions on two different days during the week, you will spend some time using Experience Corps technology systems to document students’ progress and report your volunteer hours.
How will I know what to do?
You will learn everything you need to begin tutoring during a comprehensive training that takes place before the school year starts. At that time, you’ll also receive access to all of the necessary tutoring materials and books for the program.
Our evidence-based tutoring model is highly structured and provides step-by-step instructions proven to help our volunteers feel confident in their abilities. The training will cover how to use software programs to track student’s progress and to provide virtual tutoring, so it’s also an excellent opportunity to learn new technology skills.
Finally, you’ll receive ongoing support and coaching throughout the program to ensure your success. A point of contact will also be provided for any questions you may have during tutoring sessions and throughout the school year.
What happens if I need to miss a session?
If you experience a last-minute emergency or are unable to conduct your session for any reason, we will understand.
Substitute tutors are available to ensure students receive their sessions if you have conflict or last-minute emergency.
How will my assigned location and schedule be chosen?
The school or service location and tutoring schedule is selected based on the schools’ and students’ needs.
During your interview, you will have a chance to share your preferences for what schedule works best for you.
What are the ages of the students I’ll tutor?
Our program serves students in kindergarten through third grade. During your interview, you will have a chance to ask questions and share your preferences about working with students of different ages.
We find that after completing the Experience Corps training, our volunteers feel confident in their ability to make an impactful difference in the lives of young readers, regardless of their ages.
Interested?
Take The Next Step.
Sign up to become an Experience Corps volunteer tutor. You’ll help young children become great readers and increase their chances of lifelong success. In-person and virtual opportunities available.
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