Have you ever seen a child who walks with his head down, who can't make eye contact, who has no self-esteem?  He makes comments like, "The other kids call me stupid, younger kids can read words much harder than the ones I can, so I must be stupid."  You are looking into the eyes of a child who can't read.

    Nothing a parent can say seems to be able to change this.  It is heart breaking.  But YOU can change this.  You can make a difference in a child's life. 

    The feeling a volunteer gets when a child finally has that "light bulb" come on is just indescribable.  He smiles and looks you in the eye with an air of confidence he has never before felt.  He just seems to radiate.  With the Reading ASSIST® curriculum and training, you can help students who struggle with reading.  There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that YOU helped this child learn to read. 

                                                        Anita McIlvaine, Volunteer Tutor 

 


Click Here for RAPS Intervention Training Information

 

Teach A Struggling Reader To Read, One Child At A Time

Who are we, and what do we do?

We are a nonprofit Delaware organization with one and only one objective–to teach struggling readers how to read.

These are children who have been unable to learn how to read well enough to keep up with the other students in their class. They are typically among the smarter and more creative students, but because they learn differently than most children, normal methods of teaching reading don’t always work. Sadly, about 20% of elementary school students struggle with reading to some degree, but happily nearly all of them can be taught to read if they receive the appropriate intervention early enough.

How does the Reading ASSIST®Volunteer Tutor Program work?

We train volunteer tutors in our sequential, multisensory, phonetic curriculum. We then assign the tutor to a school team to teach children who have been identified by the school as struggling readers. A tutor normally works one-on-one or in small groups with children one morning per week. The tutor passes notes on student progress to the next tutor, who does the same for the next tutor, and so on. This way, the children are tutored three times per week. As a tutor, you will receive on-going coaching by Reading ASSIST® Mentors who observe lessons and provide constructive advice and support to make sure that you succeed.

How much do we charge the student’s family to teach their child how to read, and how much does the school pay for our services?

Nothing. Our volunteers are trained free of charge, and they tutor for free. We are supported by the State of Delaware and by corporate and private sponsors.

Why do we need you?

Volunteers are the heart and backbone of the Reading ASSIST® Institute Volunteer Tutor Program. Only by engaging members of the community can we bring our unique approach for reading instruction to the children who need us.

What will you get out of being a Reading ASSIST® Volunteer Tutor?

Maybe someone once took the time to give you an important tool that turned your life around. Or maybe you just know how important it is to be able to read in this world of written communication. Here’s an opportunity for you or someone you know to give the gift of reading to a child who would otherwise miss many of the benefits that can only come to those who are able to deal effectively with the written word. Become a Reading ASSIST® Volunteer Tutor and help us reach more of these children.

As a Volunteer, we can guarantee that you will make a life-changing difference in the lives of the children with whom you work, and you will earn the respect and admiration of their parents and their schools. We can also guarantee that the children will have an equally life-changing effect on you. All-in-all, this is a wonderful and worthwhile way for you to contribute your skills, abilities and time–and have great fun while doing it!

What are the qualifications for becoming a Volunteer Tutor?

  • A desire to help children learn to read.
  • Completion of the Reading ASSIST® 36 hour training course.
  • One morning a week during the school year to work with your students. (Since you will be part of a team, flexibility exists to switch days with team members if you need to be absent on your normal tutoring day.)
  • A high school diploma or GED.
  • Completed application and health questionnaire, references and a background check.

Volunteer Tutor Role Description

What curriculum would you be teaching?

An appropriate curriculum is a phonetic, sequential, multisensory approach for teaching reading, writing and spelling to children that cannot learn to read by traditional methods. It’s consistent with the theory and methods of Orton-Gillingham, and it utilizes the child’s creative strengths (art, music, etc.) to support the activity of reading.

What’s your Next Step?

Explore our web site at www.readingassist.org. Visit with Reading ASSIST® in Wilmington. Give us an hour to describe what we do; during this time, you’ll get a feeling for what your Reading ASSIST® experience would be like.

Please contact us. The children truly need your help.

Reading ASSIST® Institute
100 W. 10th Street, Suite 910 (The Community Services Building)
Wilmington, DE 19801-6605
Ph. 302-425-4080/1-888-311-1156
Fax 302-425-4085
judy@readingassist.org