People who are interested in the work of the Literacy Council and think they might like to tutor an adult learner are invited to a one hour information session. Attendance is a prerequisite to tutor training.

View our current schedule of Volunteer Information Sessions here.

Before beginning to work with an adult learner, prospective tutors must complete about 13 hours of in-person training over the course of two days. These workshops are held at least four times a year usually on successive Saturdays.

The workshop introduces a phonics-based, multi-sensory approach geared to students who can’t read well, can speak little or no English or wish to improve their reading or language skills. It also presents instructional techniques and materials for more advanced students, and advice about tailoring lessons to particular student needs.

After completing the training, tutors choose whether to work with a Basic Literacy student or an ESL student. A Literacy Council Student-Tutor Coordinator matches each tutor with an adult learner.

View our current schedule of Tutor Training Workshops here.

Support doesn’t end with the training workshop! In addition, our tutors have access to a wide range of free online and in-house materials that include comprehensive teacher guides with lesson plans. The Literacy Council’s program coordinators provide continuing guidance about where to begin with a particular student, what materials to use, or what to do if a certain approach isn’t succeeding.