While tutors who are business professionals may only be able to volunteer 30 to 45 minutes each week, Foster Grandparents provide 20 hours per week of tutoring support. Individual schools have had tutoring programs for years. Last year this school district started a district-wide, systematic approach to tutoring. The goal is to engage the community so all children can read well and independently by the end of the third grade. Reading tutoring, however, is similar in all schools.
Students start by reading familiar material.
Then a new book is introduced and read. This is followed by a writing exercise. Finally, the tutor and student work on an exercise from the Tutor Learning Collection. The school district received a grant from America Reads this year. The Wichita school district is the largest in the state.