Literacy Council of Frederick County

A Student is Waiting for Your Help

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Literacy Council of Frederick County. As a literacy volunteer, you have a chance to help a student meet his or her literacy goals.  The following are some questions you may have about becoming a literacy tutor.

How Do I Become a Tutor?

To become certified as a tutor, you must attend a 14-hour tutor training workshop that is spread out over two days.  This training will prepare you to tutor in either our Basic Reading or English as a Second Language program. You may choose between the programs if you have a preference.  If you wish to work with a family member or friend, you are also welcome to take the training. Workshops are offered four times a year--twice in Frederick and twice in Hagerstown, MD.

I Don't Have Any Teaching Experience.

Our materials are designed to be used by people with no previous teaching experience.

What is the Difference Between Your Two Student Programs?

Our students are either in our Basic Reading program or our English as a Second Language (ESL) program.  Basic Readers include people whose primary language is English, but due to circumstances in their lives, they did not learn to read or write at functioning levels.  Our ESL students are non-native English speakers.  These students are fluent in their first language, but may need help with English writing, pronunciation, grammar, idioms, or conversation.

How Much Does the Training Cost?

We do not charge for the training.

How Much Time Can I Give to Tutoring?

The average student makes the best progress with 1-1/2 hours of tutoring twice a week. Some students and tutors can only meet once a week, and then the lessons usually last 2 hours. You should plan on an equal amount of time for lesson preparation and travel, for a total of 4-6 hours a week. We ask that you plan to commit to tutoring your student for at least a year.

What Is It Like To Be a Tutor?

The following is a story from one of the Council's tutors:  At Kate’s first lesson with her student Hae-Won, she was a little nervous. Although she had taught nursery school, working with adults was something completely new for her. Kate knew that Hae-Won spoke limited English but had not had any formal schooling since age seven. At their first meeting, they started learning about each other. Kate realized that Hae-Won was more nervous than she was!

Soon the nervousness disappeared for both of them. Together they worked on Hae-Won’s English reading and writing skills. Eventually Hae-Won studied for the Maryland Driver’s License test and passed! With her newfound mobility, Hae-Won was able to find a job. Because of her new job, she was able to get health insurance for the first time in 20 years. Kate fondly remembers her student’s accomplishments and the part she played in helping Hae-Won achieve her goals.

How Else Can I Help?

If you decide you cannot make this time commitment but would still like to volunteer, we have many other ways you can help. We need people for office staffing, publicity, public speaking, and the board of directors, to name a few. Contact us for more information.