Program Goal:  
To help facilitate academic growth in foundational areas of literacy through targeted tutoring

What’s the difference between tutoring and after-school enrichment?

Academic Tutoring	After-school Enrichment
Clear, specific, and measurable academic goals Set academic parameters for identifying needs and students One-on-one delivery Trained tutors Evidence-based curriculum, materials = promotes targeted academic gains	Broader goals of exposure, engagement that are not measurable in the academic sense  Available to more students with fewer parameters to identification  Larger groups of students with fewer adults Activity-based as opposed to a structured literacy (or math) program  = does not promote targeted academic gains

Program – 60-minute sessions, twice per week, that include:

1. Reading RULES! lessons: Evidence-based structured literacy program that focuses on word recognition skills (phonemic awareness, letter-sound instruction, spelling, decoding, sight words)
2. Text reading to build fluency
3. Read-aloud with focus on vocabulary and modeling fluent reading
4. Phonics and Sight-Word based games 

All tutoring materials and trainings provided by Virginia Literacy Partnerships

Tutors  
Tutors are recruited from the following, and are fully trained and offered continued support:

• America Reads
• Madison House
• Local high schools 
• Community organizations
• Interested community members

Students  
The focus is primarily on 1st-3rd grade students scoring in the high-risk bands on the VALLSS but can include other students when appropriate. Identified students should fit these parameters:

• High-risk band on most recent VALLSS
• Documented need for word recognition skill intervention (phonemic and phonological awareness, sight recognition, decoding)
• Ability to engage appropriately during an extended day
   

Sites  
Sites are based on the best fit and include community recreation centers, apartment clubhouses, and schools.

Family Connection  
Opportunities for families include literacy coaching and periodic progress updates.
 

Download Program Description and Parameters

In addition to the tutoring program, VLP Community Literacy Outreach is available to train community organizations’ staff in how to address literacy needs in additional ways.