Classroom Literacy Volunteer One Hour a Week with Middle Schoolers

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Los Ayudantes ("The Helpers" in Spanish) is a literacy, non-profit organization dedicated to helping Redwood City 6-8th grade students improve their literacy and critical thinking skills. We are the only local non-profit placing in-class volunteer tutors at middle schools in the Redwood City School District. Over 50% of students in the Redwood City district are designated English language learners and 43% of Redwood City third-grade students read one or two levels below their current grade. That figure rises to 65% for Latino students in the district, and unfortunately, many continue to read below grade level into middle school.

​At the direction of teachers, we help students improve reading comprehension and knowledge and refine their writing skills. We read with them, ask questions in order to go deeper into the context, and then tie the subject matter to their lives if possible. But perhaps more importantly, we become trusted adults in the lives of the students we work with on a weekly basis. We provide thoughtful concern for the students and help them with their organizational skills and any other issues that may be on their minds. This is truly the most rewarding part of working with the students. Many teachers explain that they wish the had the time in the day to get to know the students as we are able to do.

This year, our in-class middle school tutoring/mentoring program is moving online! Our volunteers will be tutoring over Zoom in either small groups (or one-on-one) with students who are distance learning from home.

Tutoring Requirements: Proficiency in English is required. No special foreign language skills are needed. Tutor training and orientation will be provided. Background check and clean TB test required. The Program Director will contact you for instructions on this process. Questions? Contact Program Director, jenni.farrell@losayudantes.org for more information.

We are currently looking for tutors who can make a school-year commitment and work 1-2 hours a week at the following times.

Tutors who enjoy working with adolescents and feel comfortable working with a variety of reading, writing and critical thinking strategies are most likely to enjoy this work. You can become an important, trusted adult in the kids’ lives when you make this commitment to tutor them throughout the year. Training and orientation is provided, and you are introduced via email to your teacher ahead of time. Instructions are provided at the beginning of a class session by the teachers on the volunteer's assignment for the day. Typically the work includes helping the kids read aloud from articles or assigned reading and asking questions to help the kids think critically about the passages they're reading.