Basic supplies are provided, but not many specific reading skills activities or books. The tutors are usually work-study college students or younger people looking to do community service. Based upon the principles of The Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction, teachers learn to teach word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension, study skills, spelling, penmanship, proofreading and writing skills, and literature. Students are assigned to reading groups based upon instructional reading levels. Within these groups, the teacher demonstrates skills and then prompts responses from students to ensure understanding.
Students follow up with individual practice.
Student practice-time is equivalent to the skills instruction time. During practice time, teachers work with individual students, test students for mastery, and work with smaller groups of students. Students learn to judge when they are ready to take a test. Written and oral tests are based upon performance and are administered individually. The purpose is to observe the learned process and model new strategies and offer technical support.