Reading is the key to success in education and in life. Children who do not read early and read well are held back
at the start of their education, and for the rest of their lives. Four out of ten fourth grade students failed
to attain the basic level of reading on the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress. In response to this
and other evidence that too many children are falling behind in acquiring even basic reading skills, President
Clinton, in 1996, announced the America Reads Challenge.
The Corporation for National Service, with its strong track record of national service in tutoring and literacy, is playing a
critical role in responding to this challenge. The Corporation supports efforts that recruit and train tutors in
local communities and increase the number of parents and community volunteers who are involved.
The goal of America Reads is to ensure that all children can read well by the end of the third grade. The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Foster Grandparent (FG)
Program are joining forces to recruit volunteers to read one on one with
children in Minnesota. We are collaborating with local schools, libraries and community programs by utilizing existing
programs and also creating new ones together.
Currently, reading tutors are direly needed in conveniently located elementary schools. Each one of these schools
has a significant number of children who desperately need literacy help.
Make a difference in a child's life! Being a reading tutor is a meaningful, fulfilling experience for senior citizens,
as well as for youth 13 & older. Tutors age 55 or better may be eligible for additional benefits such as mileage
reimbursement and/or a non-taxable stipend through the Retired
& Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) or the Foster Grandparent (FG) Program.
