FAQs

Click on the following links to learn more:

• About Volunteering

• About the Students

• About the Program

• About Reading Partners

About Volunteering

Who can volunteer?
Almost anyone! As long as you are high school aged or older, speak fluent English, and do not have a criminal record, you can volunteer as a Reading Partners tutor.

Do I have to be an American citizen to volunteer?
No, you do not have to be an American citizen to volunteer; however, it is required that you are fluent in the English language.

Do I need to have teaching experience to volunteer?
No experience is required. In fact, 70% of our volunteers have no previous teaching experience. Of course, if you have a teaching background, we welcome and value your experience.

Is there training?
Yes. To get started you will participate in a new tutor orientation (45 minutes) that will introduce you to the Reading Partners program, best teaching practices, and our unique curriculum. In addition, on your first day of tutoring you will be given one-on-one training, which usually includes shadowing another volunteer who is tutoring a student.

When I start, will someone tell me what to do or is there a study guide to follow when working with the student?
On your first day of tutoring, you will receive direction from your Site Coordiantor, a Reading Partners staff member. This usually will include shadowing another tutor who is working with a student. Once you start tutoring your student, you will be using a structured curriculum that is both easy to follow and gives you the flexibility to be creative. Your Site Coordinator will always be on hand to give you coaching and guidance.

What is the process before I can begin tutoring?
Before you begin tutoring, you are required to complete an online new tutor orientation and get a Live Scan (fingerprint) background check. (Fingerprinting is required to work with children.) Reading Partners must receive a clear fingerprint record from the Department of Justice before you can begin tutoring. Once we have received this clearance, we will contact you to schedule your first tutoring session. Depending on the school district you’re working in, you may also need to undergo a TB test.

How do I get Live Scan (fingerprint) background check?
Once you have completed your online orientation and scheduled your shadow session at your local center, a Reading Partners staff member will give you information about where you can get your Live Scan background check. You may also be reimbursed for the cost of your Live Scan.

I've had a Live Scan done recently for another nonprofit. May I use this for Reading Partners?
Unfortunately, no. We need a newly generated Live Scan report for every new volunteer.

I can’t download the fingerprinting forms from the Reading Partners website. What should I do?
The forms may require additional software, such as Adobe Reader, to be opened.  If you attempt to open the file and are prompted to download additional software, you should be able to do so for free from the Internet.  If you have access to another computer and printer, you may also try printing it on that computer/printer.  Click here (91.63 KB), to download the forms. If you still experience difficulty with the file, please call our central office at 408.945.5720, and we'll mail the forms to your home address.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

How long does this process take before I can begin tutoring?
Anywhere between one and four weeks, depending on timing and individual circumstances. Factors include whether or not school is in session and students are ready for tutoring, the date of your orientation, fingerprinting, and background checks. If there are no delays, volunteers can begin tutoring as early as one week after their initial contact with the organization.

When do I tutor?
Most of our reading centers offer tutoring from approximately 9am to 5pm Monday through Thursday. We make every effort to accommodate your schedule and find a time slot that works for you.

Where do I tutor?
You will tutor on a school campus, usually in a converted classroom or a library. You will be able to choose from among a number of Reading Partners schools near you to find a location that is convenient. Please visit the Los Angeles, Bay Area or Sacramento locations pages to determine the best location.

How long is each tutoring session?
Each tutoring session is 45 minutes long.

How much time do most volunteers give each week?

A: Most volunteers will spend either 45 or 90 minutes per week, depending on whether they do one or two tutoring sessions. However, some volunteers take on more than one student. We’ve had people spend as many as eight hours per week tutoring in some of our schools!

How many sessions do I have to tutor per week?
Only one. Of course, you’re welcome and encouraged to tutor more than one session if you wish. Most students in the Reading Partners program attend the program twice a week. Many volunteers who prefer to build their relationship with one child choose to mirror the child's schedule and tutor twice a week. Other volunteers choose to tutor several students in multiple back-to-back sessions on the same day.

How many students will I tutor?
All Reading Partners tutoring is one-on-one. You may choose to tutor one student, or as many of our volunteers do, tutor multiple students in back-to-back sessions.

Is there any preparation required in advance of tutoring sessions or after sessions? Do I have to grade papers, write reports or plan lessons?
There is no advance preparation. All you have to do is pick up your student's box of materials and pick up where you left off. You'll have a curriculum to support you that requires no lesson planning. At the end of each tutoring session, you’ll make some notes in the student’s file about your work that day. This information helps our staff keep track of your student's progress and challenges. Twice a year we'll solicit your feedback about your student's progress.

Am I required to commit to tutoring for a certain length of time?
We ask that volunteers commit to at least one semester of tutoring. This is to ensure that every student receives consistency and has a chance to build a trusted relationship with his or her tutor.

What if I cannot tutor every week? May I still participate?
Yes, you can volunteer as a substitute tutor. This means you may be called upon from time to time to fill in for a regular tutor who has to miss a session due to illness or travel. Substitute tutors play a critical role by ensuring that students keep making progress every week, no matter what.

What are the other tutors at the school going to be like?
Reading Partners tutors come form every walk of life: high school students, college students, working professionals, full-time parents, seniors, and people no longer working.

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About the Students

What are the kids like?
Students come to Reading Partners because they need extra help to get their reading skills up to grade level. All of our students are specially selected for the program to be sure that they will get the most out of their tutoring sessions. This means that they will speak at least conversational English, will not have any major diagnosed learning disabilities, and will not have any serious issues with behavior.

Why do these kids have trouble reading? Is it because they speak English as a second language?
While many of our students do come from homes where English is not the primary language, it’s usually a number of factors that have led to them entering our program. These may have to do with hardships at home, differing learning styles, or just a need for more time and attention. Many students in the program have not had the benefit of having a parent read to them on a regular basis. Low-income parents often work two jobs, struggle to put food on the table, struggle with their own literacy issues, and do not have the skills or time to help their children. Learning English as a second language often compounds the challenges our students have with reading, but it usually is not solely responsible for them. You can, however, expect English Language Learners to have smaller vocabularies than native English speakers.

Do these kids want to be there or are they forced to be there?
While students are referred to the program by a teacher, most students quickly come to look forward to Reading Partners as a highlight of their school day. If the student does not want to come, he or she is not forced to attend.

How do kids feel about being pulled out of class to come to tutoring at Reading Partners?
Most volunteers are surprised to learn that students consider it a privilege to go to Reading Partners. Teachers often tell us that they have a list of students who want to be a part of the program. Some teachers even use Reading Partners as a reward for good behavior!

Do I have a choice over the child I get to work with?
Your Site Director, a Reading Partners staff member, will match you with a student based on your needs and the student's. Working with you during the first few sessions, your Site Director will help to make sure everything is going smoothly and that you and your student are hitting it off.

Do the students have conversational English abilities?
Yes. However, many of our students come from homes where English is not the primary language, so although they may sound fluent in conversation, they still need extra help with reading and writing. Also these students usually have smaller vocabularies than native English speakers.

How often do the students attend tutoring?
Most students attend twice a week. Students may have one tutor or two tutors for the two days a week they attend.

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About the Program

I'm a parent and my child is behind in reading. Can I enroll my student in Reading Partners?
Because we are a ‘pull out’ program, Reading Partners can only work with students at our partner schools, click here to see if your school participates. If your child attends a school with the Reading Partners program, you may want to speak to his or her teacher.

How are children referred to the program?
Principals and teachers refer students who are reading significantly below grade level as measured by standardized testing.

What's your success rate? Are kids making an improvement?
We have an 80% success rate in helping students measurably accelerate their progress in reading. On average, students gain an entire grade level in reading skills for every 30 hours they spend with a Reading Partners tutor. Teachers and parents report that students are more enthusiastic about school, participate more, and show increased self-confidence. For four years in a row, Reading Partners has had a 100% satisfaction rate among teachers. 

How do you measure the success of the students?
Reading Partners assesses students three times per year: once at the start of the school year in the fall, once right after the semester break in the winter, and once at the end of the school year in the spring.

How are you able to pull students out of the classroom for tutoring?
Reading Partners has agreements with each teacher about the best time to release each student. Teachers agree that the one-on-one instruction students receive is a critical addition to classroom instruction. At almost all of our schools, teachers have a list of students who are waiting for an available tutor.

Who developed the curriculum and what is the philosophy behind it?
Reading Partners staff with education expertise, in consultation with faculty and graduate students at the Stanford School of Education, developed the curriculum. It is based on best teaching practices, grade-level requirements and a balanced-literacy approach. The Reading Partners curriculum meets the content standards set by the California Department of Education.

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About Reading Partners

Who funds the Reading Partners organization?
Reading Partners is a nonprofit organization, which means we are funded through grants and donations from foundations, corporations, businesses and individuals.

Who founded the organization?
Three community members, Mary Wright Shaw, Molly McCrory and Jean Bacigalupi, who had a vision to equalize education for disadvantaged children in their community, founded the organization in 1999.

How long has the organization been in existence?
We were founded in 1999.

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