By Lisa Jacobs, Executive Director, ATC
Alexandria, VA – Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC) is gearing up to help 315 of Alexandria’s elementary students learn to read, and it needs 100 more volunteer reading tutors. ATC’s Book Buddies program trains volunteers and matches them with kindergarten, first, and second grade students in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS). Tutors work one-on-one with their students under the guidance of ATC staff and use ATC-provided materials. No experience is required – just a belief in the potential of every child.
“I’ve been a Book Buddy tutor for seven years,” says ATC Board Chair Anna Davis. “It’s one of the most impactful things I’ve ever done. Twice a week, I spend 40 minutes with my Buddy, and between October and May I watch them go from reading ‘Zac is sad’ to a 16-page book outlining Zac’s adventures with his van, a pig in a wig, and a lot of mud. It is an honor to support the work being done by ACPS’s classroom teachers and a lot of fun to boot. I would encourage anyone who wants to make a lasting difference to become an ATC Book Buddy.”
Book Buddies works. Last year, 89% of participants met or exceeded the end-of-year reading benchmark and 98% made significant gains! Research shows it takes four times as long (and costs four times as much) to catch a child up after third grade as it does to get them on track earlier. Because early intervention like ATC’s Book Buddies program is proven to be effective, this fall the organization is adding kindergarten programs at James K. Polk and Charles Barrett schools to benefit even more of the city’s youngest readers.
How can I help? Go to alexandriatutors.org and sign up to be a tutor! Volunteers are matched to a student, and they work together once or twice a week in 30- to 40-minute sessions, October through May. Tutoring happens in a local ACPS school during the school day. ATC will work with you to find a time and location that fits your schedule. Book Buddies isn’t just the name of the program; it also describes the real relationships students form with their tutors. As one first grader told his tutor, “I always wanted to have a Book Buddy!”
Just 30 minutes once or twice a week can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Sign up today! To learn more about tutoring (or to donate to ATC) contact Alexa Allmann at [email protected] or go to the website at alexandriatutors.org
The Alexandria Tutoring Consortium is a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains volunteers to tutor K-2 students in reading. ATC works in partnership with Alexandria City Public Schools and the community at large to provide trained, dedicated tutors to every child who needs help learning to read.
