Reading Partners: Committed Tutors Needed!

Bookish Fam,

Cafe con Libros has partnered with "Reading Partners" to help increase tutors in our community. Please share this blog with family and friends to get the word out and community based needs met.

We appreciate you!

-kqd.

What is Reading Partners:

Reading is the foundation for learning and success in life. Yet, only 22% of New York City 4th-graders are reading at grade level, and it's even worse for economically disadvantaged students. Reading Partners is looking for hundreds of volunteer tutors to make a difference in our community this school year. We will continue to serve students in an online environment using content that integrates our trusted curriculum skills and lessons into innovative presentations to optimize student engagement as well as incorporate social-emotional learning (SEL) opportunities through relationship-building with tutors. Give as little as one hour per week to tutor an elementary student, one-on-one for a year. Tutoring takes place Monday-Thursday 8AM-2PM. No experience is required, as we provide an easy-to-follow curriculum that includes all of the books, worksheets, and step-by-step lesson plans to teach fun, effective lessons online. Want to learn more? Check out this quick video, or contact rhea.quinones@readingpartners.org or 646-395-3831. Sign up here to volunteer.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: READING PARTNERS CONNECTS PROGRAM MODEL

• We partner with high-need public schools and connect with our students using a virtual platform to protect the health and safety of our students and volunteers

• School staff refer kindergarten through fourth grade students who are struggling with reading. Each student is matched with a trained volunteer tutor.

• Tutors follow our research-validated curriculum that is fun and engaging virtually, easy-to-follow, responsive to statewide testing standards, and proven to work.

• Students meet one-on-one with their tutors twice a week online for 45 minutes, putting them on track to read at grade level.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: TUTOR DESCRIPTION

Reading Partners tutors work one-on-one online from the safety of their home with the same K-4th grade student for a minimum of one hour per week for the school year. More than simply reading with a child, our volunteers follow a proven, structured curriculum to help students learn specific skills necessary to become proficient readers. It’s simple, and it works. Each lesson comes with step-by-step instructions and materials to successfully tutor online. A trained distance tutoring coordinator is always available to answer questions, assist with the materials, and solve problems. A successful Reading Partners tutor:

• displays a willingness and eagerness to learn tutoring strategies.

• demonstrates patience and empathy for students while holding high expectations.

• interacts effectively with diverse groups.

• is reliable and consistent.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: READING PARTNERS’ COMMITMENT TO VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are at the heart of our program and we are committed to providing a best-in-class volunteer experience by providing the following:

• An easy, fun, and meaningful way to get involved in the community, while working safely from your home.

• An evidence-based, easy-to-follow curriculum.

• Training that empowers volunteers to effectively support students’ academic progress.

• Ongoing support to volunteers during the school year through coaching, regular check-ins, and debriefing sessions.

• A warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment conducive to learning.

• Prompt and thoughtful communication with volunteers, including answering questions and keeping volunteers informed of upcoming events, calendar/schedule changes, and relevant program updates.

WHAT MAKES READING PARTNERS UNIQUE

Reading Partners is a leading national nonprofit organization with a program model that is a complete package of a literacy intervention program with one-on-one instruction that can be provided online by trained community volunteers. Our intervention generates real changes in student achievement that are measurable over time.

The following factors set us apart:

1. We use a proven, research-based program model: In one of the largest studies of its kind with a sample size of more than 1,200 students, gold standard research conducted by MDRC found that Reading Partners’ program model has a positive impact on three core indicators of literacy proficiency. Very few programs that have been rigorously evaluated at scale (using a randomized trial with a sample of more than 300 students from multiple schools) have been shown to improve reading outcomes for elementary school children.

2. We emphasize skill mastery and proficiency: Our primary student goal is to put students on a path to reading proficiency. As a result, we focus on developing skill mastery and moving students toward reading proficiency standards. Given that so many students that schools refer to the program are far behind in foundational skills and two-thirds of 3rd-4th graders are one year or more behind, we set significant growth goals toward grade-level skills for all Reading Partners students.

3. We engage communities in our work: Our model’s success depends on our ability to harness the power of community volunteers and train them to provide individualized instruction using our proprietary, research-based curriculum. For as little as one hour per week, volunteers can have an impact on student reading performance and play a key role in advancing educational equity.

4. We individualize our program to meet students’ needs: Personalized skills practice, or what educators refer to as differentiated instruction, is at the heart of the Reading Partners’ intervention model. Ongoing assessments and one-on-one engagement with tutors help tailor our curriculum to each student’s strengths and areas for improvement. We establish each student’s independent reading level at the time of his or her enrollment by evaluating the student with a research-based assessment tool. We continue to monitor progress throughout the year and adjust tutoring sessions based on each student’s progress.

Sign up here to volunteer.