Empower Adults through Reading Tutoring at the Library! Training Provided.

Help empower an adult in your community to reach their potential by tutoring them in foundational reading, writing, and numeracy/math skills for everyday life, work, future education, and increased self-esteem. Digital literacy skills may be included. Become an Adult Literacy tutor!

NO formal teaching experience or college degree required.

Free training and instructional materials are provided to both the tutor and learner. Most workbooks include a detailed teacher's guide, and we have other teacher resource books with a collection of activities ideas by skill area.

Beyond the basics of having strong literacy and communication skills in English, we are looking for the following qualities and skills:

• Empathetic, nonjudgmental, patient, humble, self-aware
• Flexible, growth mindset, lifelong learner; strong interpersonal skills
• Creative thinker and problem-solver, innovative yet practical
• Can easily break down concepts into more digestible bits and relate/apply them to everyday life
• Appreciation of learner-centered instruction, peer teaching/mentoring, interactive learning
• Basic proficiency in email/computer, internet, and smart phone skills (or willing to learn before starting tutoring)

Note: This is not drop-in, homework-help type of tutoring. The tutoring done in this program is more similar to a mentoring relationship but with a focus on strengthening distinct reading skills that, together, make someone a strong reader (e.g. alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension). Foundational writing skills also included.

Examples of helpful specialized skills/experience/interests: staff trainer/manager, coaching, job coach; academic counselor, therapist; Adult Education teacher/staff, learning disabilities, Special Ed, speech pathology; linguistics/bilingual; digital literacy.

A tutor and learner are matched and meet weekly for 1.5 to 2 hours, for six months or longer, usually a year or more until the learner has met one or more meaningful literacy-related goals. Examples include read and understand their mail or a newspaper, fill out forms, get a driver's license, apply for jobs, pass the citizenship test, or pass the GED subject tests. Therefore, tutors should be interested in and effective at breaking down and explaining various concepts and skills and providing lots of practice in creative ways since more traditional ways likely didn't work or weren't sufficient.

The average reading skill level is about a 3rd grade equivalency, with learners not uncommonly starting below that. Many native English speakers may have some degree of dyslexia, a learning disability unrelated to intelligence. We have specialized materials to support that remediation. We also serve English language learners (ESL), with a focus on literacy and an integration of all core English language skills (not conversation only). Our priority is to serve the lowest level adult learners as they have fewer other (effective and free) options to improve their skills.

Learn more about our program’s learners and volunteer tutors, in their own words, by watching this video, housed on the Sacramento Public Library YouTube channel (playlist). https://youtu.be/sC65NGXo1_o?si=XgM8iD7BarEhE4gT.

In-person tutors are our priority right now as this modality is more effective for lower-level adult learners, and there may be a digital access or skills barrier to virtual tutoring. We have numerous learners waiting for in-person tutors, at about 24 of our 28 library branches throughout the county. We have a special need right now for tutors in the South and Elk Grove/Valley Hi area. Virtual tutors must demonstrate effective tutoring strategies for that modality.

Timeframe Note: Due to the time it takes to complete pre-service tutor training and to find a learner who is a good match, this is not a quick-start opportunity, and we ask for a 6-month minimum commitment from both tutor and learner so that the learner has time to make meaningful progress. There is some flexibility with this and other opportunities may be available, depending on your skills and interests, such as helping waiting learners to start self-study digital learning programs or supporting other distance learning options.

There are no specific start/stop dates or other designated breaks in our program, but you are welcome to take normal holidays off and vacations as long as they do not begin to interfere too much with your learner's progress.

A tutor may work with more than one learner individually if the tutor wishes. Small-group tutoring may also be possible, but most learners come to us specifically for 1:1 tutoring.

We have a long waiting list of learners, so please share this opportunity with anyone else you know who may be a good fit. At this time, some learners wait 6 months or longer for a tutor.

Thank you for your interest and for reading all the information provided here. We look forward to hearing from you!