Absolutely! Educators and researchers agree that tutoring can make a real difference, especially when it’s delivered one-on-one or in a small group, is led by educators or well-trained tutors, and is offered at least twice a week, like Experience Corps.

Students who worked one-to-one with Experience Corps Tutors for a single school year saw more than 60 percent greater gains in critical literacy skills compared with students not served by the program.

Experience Corps focuses on helping students to read by third grade because it’s an especially important year. Up until then, children are learning to read. But in fourth grade, they need to be able to read to learn.

The Experience Corps tutoring model includes a well-defined session structure, the main purpose of which is to provide targeted practice in skills critical to comprehension and overall reading.

The core program and our Volunteer Tutors focus on fluency, a set of foundational skills that are essential to developing literacy. Multiple rigorous studies have shown fluency to be highly correlated to overall reading ability of elementary school students.

Over the last few years, giving back from home has become more and more popular. Thanks to easy-to-use video chat platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, working online is common.

AARP Foundation has its own proprietary tutoring platform that was built specifically with our students and volunteers in mind.

Children today are also used to screens in the classroom — it’s just part of their school day. Best of all, becoming a virtual Volunteer Tutor enables you to give back in a way that works for YOU.

Here are some of the reasons our volunteers choose the virtual route with Experience Corps:

• Schedule is too busy to commute to on-site locations
• Mobility issues make leaving the house difficult
• Limited access to convenient transportation options
• No reading programs are available nearby

Today, you can make a difference in the classroom without the challenges of everyday logistics. What matters most is your desire to share your knowledge, time, and experience with children in need of extra guidance.

You will learn everything you need to begin tutoring during a comprehensive training that takes place before the school year starts. At that time, you’ll also receive access to all of the necessary tutoring materials and books for the program.

Our evidence-based tutoring model is highly structured and provides step-by-step instructions proven to help our volunteers feel confident in their abilities. The training will cover how to use software programs to track student’s progress and to provide virtual tutoring, so it’s also an excellent opportunity to learn new technology skills.

Finally, you’ll receive ongoing support and coaching throughout the program to ensure your success. A point of contact will also be provided for any questions you may have during tutoring sessions and throughout the school year.

If you experience a last-minute emergency or are unable to conduct your session for any reason, we will understand.

Substitute tutors are available to ensure students receive their sessions if you have conflict or last-minute emergency.

The school or service location and tutoring schedule is selected based on the schools’ and students’ needs.

During your interview, you will have a chance to share your preferences for what schedule works best for you. There may be opportunities to tutor virtually, which could help you fit the tutoring into your schedule or avoid a long commute to a school in need.

Our program serves students in kindergarten through third grade. During your interview, you will have a chance to ask questions and share your preferences about working with students of different ages.

We find that after completing the Experience Corps training, our volunteers feel confident in their ability to make an impactful difference in the lives of young readers, regardless of their ages.