TULSA, Oklahoma – Reading Partners in Tulsa is looking for volunteers to help children who may have fallen behind in their reading skills during the pandemic.

They say kids are further behind than ever before.

Reading Partners is a national non-profit organization that tutors children and helps them advance their reading through one-on-one mentoring.

Leaders say one in four Oklahoma fourth-graders is reading at a proficient level, and 36 percent of students lack basic literacy skills.

Reading Partners says the pandemic and the resulting shift to virtual learning have made things worse.

Heather Kawlra, the Executive Director of Reading Partners Tulsa says it is important to tutor and mentor young students now, so they can have the skills they need to advance in the school system.

“Students really only have this small window of time between Kindergarten and Third Grade to learn to read,” said Kawlra. “Once they hit Fourth Grade, now it’s time to start reading to learn. So we really have to capture those kids in that early time between Kinder and Third Grade where they are able to absorb all that learning at one time.”

She adds that not only do they hope to improve students’ reading skills, but they also want to help students emotionally.

“The pandemic has significantly impacted students’ social and emotional learning, so a big part of what we do at Reading Partners is building one-on-one relationships with students and be a consistent face for that child, and so this just gives the student more confidence, they are excited to come to the reading center,” said Kawlra.

Reading Partners is already looking for volunteers for the next school year.

You can sign up online right now on their website.