One in five people in the USA and one in four in Prince George’s County can’t read well enough to function in our society. You can help. Become a Literacy Council volunteer tutor. Here are some details.

Tutor Requirements
Series of tutor training workshops (provided by the Literacy Council)
2-4 hours per week tutoring

Tutor Training
Workshop series are offered every month at the cost of $30 for the course and books. Volunteers have a choice between a 17.5 hour-Basic Literacy workshop and a 21.5 hour-ESOL workshop.

Pre-registration is required. Please call or e-mail Loreta Jordan at 301-699-9770 or LJordan@literacycouncil.org to get more information about tutoring.

About our tutors
The Literacy Council tutor is a caring volunteer who possesses a desire to work with adults who want to improve their reading skills. It is not necessary for you to be a teacher or have a college degree. If you can read, and want to help others learn to read, you can be a tutor! And you don’t need experience, either! The Literacy Council will provide all of the training you need.

After completing our training, the tutor and a student are matched to begin one-on-one sessions. The tutor meets regularly with a student at an agreed upon public place and time. The tutor offers positive encouragement and reinforcement to an adult who is struggling to improve comprehension of written materials, write letters, strengthen basic math skills, or address advanced challenging materials needed to advance in studies or for work. Tutors will send in basic monthly reports on their tutoring.

Thoughts from tutor, Helen Carapellartti
“What drives me is (the learner’s) dedication. I’ve seen Jeery (from Ethiopia), a new mother sometimes sick or tired, still showing up for our sessions. We have fun too and we all benefit from the cultural exchange. Jeery once prepared me a chicken dish that had the most unusual spices and I enjoyed it tremendously; it had the spiciness of New Mexican food. There are no words to describe the enjoyment, and deep sense of accomplishment I feel. It is like receiving an Academy Award. The most amazing part is I have learned so much, and I thought I was the one teaching. I realize I still have much to learn as a tutor, but then, I also have much to look forward to.”

English Conversation Group
It meets every Wednesday 4:30-6 PM at the Literacy Council to promote fluency via group learning. For more details, please contact Loreta Jordan at 301-699-9770 or LJordan@literacycouncil.org.

Tutor Reporting:
Tutors may use the online Tutor Reporting Form  to report tutoring sessions.  Please include the following information in your report:  Tutor name, Student name, total volunteer hours (includes preparation for tutoring sessions), total student contact hours, and total tutor miles driven.  Please list all the Tutor/Student Meeting Dates and Times.  Please tell us of student successes and achievements.  Please give us your questions and ideas.  The contact us form will be forwarded to Loreta Jordan, or you may contact Loreta Jordan directly at ljordan@literacycouncil.org