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Running Head: RESOURCES FOR LITERACY VOLUNTEERS
Selecting Resources for Early Literacy Volunteers
Janet S. Gaffney
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ted Dawson
Vail School District
Tucson, Arizona
Contact Person:
Janet S. Gaffney
University of Illinois
College of Education
1310 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
gaffneyj@uiuc.edu
Please do not copy or cite without permission of the author.
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Selecting Resources for Early Literacy Volunteers
Due to significant increases in federal funding for volunteers (e.g., America Reads
Challenge) and the number of young children who are experiencing difficulty in learning how to
read and write, the call for literacy volunteers has surged. In combination with strong classroom
teaching, the use of volunteers has been recommended as a cost— effective option for boosting
the literacy skills of young children (Morris, Shaw, & Perney, 1990).
Coupled with the growth in the number of volunteers is the increased need for preparing
these individuals for this task. Widespread agreement can be found for the provision of
educational opportunities for the volunteers by individuals with expertise in young children’s
literacy learning, i.e., a reading coordinator, consultant, or professor (Wasik, 1998). The length,
timing, and nature of the training and supervisory components, however, vary considerably across
programs. While most volunteer programs include a description of core activities or session
structure, the responsibility for planning may reside with either the volunteer (Hopkins, 1998; Juel,
1996) or the coordinator (Invernizzi, Juel, & Rosemary, 1997; Morris et al., 1990). Even with
preparation in using a core set of activities, sessions with children will necessitate independent
action on the part of the volunteer.
In response to the expanding need for preparing a growing volunteer work force, manuals
and guidebooks are being published for use by volunteers and coordinators of volunteer
programs. What follows are descriptions of the currently available books for tutors and program
coordinators. While there are many resources that may be helpful, this review is limited to
materials that were designed with these particular audiences in mind. The focus is on texts
developed for helping young children in the area of literacy, excluding those that addressed adult
literacy and other content areas.
The manuals are listed in alphabetical order by author. For each listing, a description is
provided regarding the nature and scope of the information, user friendliness, and suitability for
the intended audience. While these summaries are not critical reviews, they are shaped by our
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professional judgment. The intent is to provide sufficient information that may help others select
the resources that are the best match for their volunteers and program goals.
Annotated Bibliography
Arnold, C. (1997). Read with me: A guide for student volunteers starting early childhood
literacy programs. Washington, D.C.: Us. Department of Education.
This 40-page booklet is based on the author’s experience in developing the Harvard
Emerging Literacy Project (HELP) that placed undergraduate volunteers in local Head Start
classrooms. As reflected in the title, the guide is written for college students who are initiating their
own literacy efforts. The information is useful for the preliminary planning for a new volunteer
literacy effort. Reviewing the checklist on the final pages would assure a student group that the
necessary tasks for starting a project of this nature were being addressed.
Bader, L. A. (1998). Read to succeed: Literacy tutor’s manual. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
The Reading to Succeed tutor’s manual is a mixture of brief introductory segments for the
tutor about a wide array of word- and text-level reading and writing activities and accompanying
sheets to use with children. The manual is based on ten years of implementation of the Read to
Succeed program by the author. As stated by Bader, the program requires the supervision of a
reading specialist, e.g., a literacy professor or a reading teacher. The supervisor’s role would be
essential for helping tutors to modify the sample materials and plans for use with children of
varying literacy levels. The perforated and three-hole punched pages would be useful for
organization and versatile use of the manual. A companion manual for trainers with black-line
masters for overhead transparencies and program evaluation forms does not add substantially to
the set.
Chall, J. S., Roswell, F. G., Fletcher, M. B., Richmond, D. (1998). Teaching children to
read: A step-by-step guide for volunteer tutors. Elizabethtown, PA: Continental.
Six lesson components are described in chapters that range from two to eight pages.
Tutors are directed to focus on the areas that are troublesome for the child. The chapters on sight
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words and phonics are longer in length than those on oral reading, silent reading, spelling and
writing, and reading aloud. The emphasis on the identification of letters and words is consistent
with the authors’ view of the common patterns of difficulties of young children with reading
problems (p. 5). Volunteers are recommended to allocate about 10 minutes to each component,
resulting in a 50-60 minute lesson. The theme of the manual, “learning to read is a journey” is
conveyed through striking travel illustrations that may distract rather than contribute to the content.
The final chapter is comprised of sample lessons for a first, second, and third grader. Materials for
screening and teaching letters and words are included as well as sample passages for estimating
the difficulty level of a book and a lesson plan. Distinct from other manuals, the authors state that
no special training in teaching is necessary to use “the tools needed to become an effective tutor”
(p. 4).
Hermann, B. A. (1994). The volunteer tutor's toolbox. Delaware, MD: International Reading
Association.
This text is geared toward preservice teachers who wish to augment their studies with the
practical experience of tutoring individuals of any age. Within the 128 pages of academic text,
concepts such as semantics, comprehension and phonics are explored. The authors maintain the
position that the language arts are integrated and should be taught accordingly. They use the term
"holistic" to describe their belief that reading, writing, thinking, and conversing about ideas
comprise literacy. Included are activities such as semantic mapping, K-W-L, and repeated
readings. The emphasis on phonics and homework completion would seem to be less useful to
the lay volunteers. The book would make a useful resource for a student participating in early field
experiences as it contains lists of professional journals and resources and protocols for evaluating
written work, retellings, and guiding classroom observations.
Johnston, F. R., Invernizzi, M., & Juel, C. (1998). Book Buddies: Guidelines for volunteer tutors
of emergent and early readers. New York: Guilford.
Book Buddies is a large-scale tutoring program in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is
implemented with first and second graders by community volunteers. This manual contains
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information for both coordinators and volunteers that may be used to replicate Book Buddies in
their own communities. One strength of this text is the focus on evaluating readers’ progress; a
component that is often omitted by many volunteer literacy programs. Based on the initial
evaluation, the tutors follow either the emergent reader or early reader plan with their assigned
child. The approach is a mix of text reading and isolated phonics activities. The 175-page
manual provides useful information that is speckled with examples. Guides for observing children
and self-evaluation by tutors, in areas such as fluency and book introductions, are particularly
helpful. The 50 pages of appendices include a few tutoring forms and a sizeable list of resources
for children’s books. The glossary will benefit those who want to replicate the Book Buddies
program. Two videotapes that are demonstrations of lessons with emergent readers may be
purchased separately from the publisher.
Koralek, D., & Collins, R. (1997). On the road to reading: A guide for community partners.
Vienna, VA: Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.
On the Road to Reading contains valuable information for tutors, trainers, and program
developers who desire to help young children learn to read and write. The technical content is
presented in a user-friendly format and easy to understand language. For example, in a detailed
section on emerging literacy behaviors, interesting acts performed by children are paired with
explanations of the way that these behaviors contribute to a child’s growth as a reader and writer.
Notes in the margins highlight main points in the text. Useful information is presented in figures for
easy reference, e.g., “Tips for Choosing Children’s Books” and “Tips for Families: Read Aloud
With Your Child.” The authors offer sound advice on ways to support children’s early efforts at
reading and writing and corresponding activities. The appendices include a glossary of terms a list
of resources and contact information for literacy organizations. Permission is granted to copy and
disseminate this publication.
Laminack, L. L. (1998). Volunteers working with young readers. Urbana, IL: National
Council of Teachers of English.
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A unique feature of this book is the reference to reading volunteers working with small
groups as well as individuals. Each of the three chapters of this 130-page, spiral-bound manual
has distinct purposes. Suggested practices comprise the first chapter. These practices range from
literature circles to the cloze procedure to echo reading. Reference to developers or research is
notably absent. The second chapter consists of vignettes of individual children in specific reading
situations. The cases reflect true patterns of children’s reading and would be quite useful as
catalysts for discussion in workshops for volunteers. Note that some of the ideas offered for
responding to the children do not have research support, e.g., skipping over unknown words in
text. The final chapter consists of extensive analysis of oral reading by four second graders.
Volunteers, who lack professional education, may find this material dense and tedious. A limited
list of children’s books appears in the appendix. No explanation is provided for selection or levels
of books.
Merrill, M. (1998). Volunteer literacy manual. Columbus, OH: Reading Recovery Council of
North America.
The Volunteer Literacy Manual is an easy-to-use booklet designed to guide coordinators of
projects or organizations in starting and operating a literacy tutoring program. The manual is
divided into logical sections covering the recruitment, training, and management of volunteers, as
well as other aspects of program implementation. A resource section is included with sample
application, reference, and record forms and sample surveys. These materials are included on a
diskette for convenient use without risk of copyright infringement. While the Volunteer Literacy
Manual does not include information about teaching methods, a list of publications that may be
useful for tutors, managers, and parents is listed in the bibliography.
Morrow, L. M. & Walker, B. J. (1997). The reading team: A handbook for volunteer tutors K3. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
The Reading Team is a well-conceived guidebook for tutors of young children. Only 38
pages in length with colorful photographs, most adults would find this book accessible and
straightforward. While the authors emphasize a model for sessions over theory, they do provide
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conceptual grounding for the activities and techniques suggested. The "Six Elements of a Tutoring
Session" section are reminiscent of Reading Recovery. A half-dozen forms are brightly colored
and useful (e.g., Motivation Interview, Story Retelling and Rewriting Form, Look What I Did, and a
Tutor's Self-Evaluation Form.)
Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (1997). Help America read: A handbook for volunteers.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
This handbook is a useful resource for adults who volunteer in primary-grade classrooms to
help young children become readers and writers. The book is organized around ten
recommendations that focus on talking with children; reading to, with, and by children; writing for,
with, and by children; understanding phonics, letters, and words, making books; and connecting
with children’s homes. The book is accessible in terms of size (slightly over 100 pages), plain
language, and kind of information. Each chapter includes a box titled “Take Note” that provides a
few questions that encourage volunteers to thoughtfully plan for their time with children. Sample
plans for 30-minute sessions are presented in the final chapter. The appendices contain titles of
children’s books in grade-level lists that will assist volunteers to collect books from classroom,
school, and community libraries to entice children to read. Volunteers can also make their own
books using the descriptions and figures in Chapter 10.
Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (1997). A coordinator’s guide to help America read: A
handbook for volunteers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
This guide is to be used by coordinators of volunteer programs that are designed to provide
extra help in reading and writing for primary-grade children. In eight chapters, which comprise
about a third of the book, the authors present core information about the organization and
communication that are important for managing volunteer literacy programs. Using this resource
in the planning stage of a volunteer program would help to prevent common difficulties but the
suggestions could also help a coordinator to improve an existing program. The remaining twothirds of the book are appendices of plans for training sessions and reproducible black-line
masters to use with the companion text, Help America Read: A Handbook for Volunteers (Pinnell
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& Fountas, 1997). Two or more coordinators in the same geographic area could use this text as a
centerpiece for discussion and planning independent or cooperative programs.
Roller, C. M. (1998). So . . . What’s a tutor to do? Newark, DE: International Reading
Association.
So . . . What’s a Tutor to Do? is an instructionally sound, comprehensive text. Roller
introduces the text by restating President Clinton’s goal of literacy by third grade for all children.
The 14 chapters that follow contain research-based information on what tutors can do to help
children learn to read and write, as well as advice on how to develop and operate a tutoring
program. The author provides useful figures of lesson formats, sample lessons, and activities for
beginning readers. According to Roller, the material is based on tutoring sessions of graduate
students, who are seeking certification in reading and special education and who work with
children in a summer clinic, and on her own teaching of children. The book is very appropriate for
an audience of undergraduate or graduate preservice teachers. In the final chapter, Roller
describes the development of the tutoring program using work-study students at the University of
Iowa with federal funding under the rubric of the American Reads Challenge. The text would be
valuable for supervisors of work-study students but a bit dense for use by the volunteers. Roller
shares her fears of having volunteers with the least training teach children with the greatest need.
Roller sees volunteer programs as a way to provide one-to-one assistance until school systems
support individual teaching of the lowest students by skilled literacy professionals.
Walker, B. J., & Morrow, L. M. (1998). Tips for the reading team: Strategies for tutors.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Adding to their previous handbook for literacy volunteers, The Reading Team: A Handbook
for Volunteer Tutors K-3 (Morrow & Walker, 1997), the authors take an interesting approach in
this text. The book, not quite 100 pages, has been produced as an edited collection of selected
articles that were published in The Reading Teacher from 1985 to 1997. The editors pruned the
content of 31 articles and assembled the abridged versions into five sections: (a) Motivating
Readers, (b) Storybook Reading, (c) Reading Together and Rereading, (d) Figuring Out Words,
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and (e) Supporting Understanding. This approach has some appeal as a way to expose lay
volunteers to information from the premier journal on literacy teaching. The topical organization of
the techniques, however, does not guarantee that the recommended practices are theoretically
congruent within or across categories. By necessity, the descriptions of techniques are pared
down and simplified. As stated by the authors, volunteers would need to be supported by a team
that includes a teacher and a trainer of tutors through discussions and a series of training
sessions.
Walker, B. J., Scherry, R., & Morrow, L. M. (1999). Training the reading team: A guide for
supervisors of a volunteer tutoring program. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
This text is intended to accompany Tips for the Reading Team: Strategies for Tutors
(Walker & Morrow, 1998) and The Reading Team: A Handbook for Volunteer Tutors K-3 (Morrow
& Walker, 1997). The 122-page manual, which is directed to an audience of supervisors of
volunteer literacy programs for young children, is organized into three sections: planning and
implementing a tutoring program, training sessions for the volunteers, and assessment tools.
Appendices A, B, and C contain reproducible documents and overheads that correspond with the
three narrative sections. Appendix D includes resources for the tutors. The text is crossreferenced with The Reading Team. This manual contains basic information that will help new
supervisors get a tutoring program underway.
Closing Comments
Although the general public and legislators have been advocates for using volunteers to
assist young children with learning difficulties, some educators are skeptical about the contribution
that volunteers can make in the amelioration of literacy problems (e.g., Edmondson, 1998). The
U.S. Department of Education appears to be ambivalent about the use of non-certified personnel;
on the one hand rallying all community members—college students, older Americans, religious
groups, and business leaders—to participate as literacy tutors (Riley, 1997) while simultaneously
being troubled about the continued use of Title I funds for employing paraprofessionals to teach
reading.
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Based on Wasik’s (1998) conclusions from her review of one-to-one volunteer tutoring
programs, a cautious approach may be well founded. Only two of 17 programs reviewed had
reported results from rigorous evaluations (p. 282). In addition, tutors who were certified teachers
had greater impact than did paraprofessionals.
In a recent study, the progress of first and
second graders, who were tutored by volunteers, was compared to the progress of a comparable
group of children, who did not have access to individual help (Baker, Gersten, & Keating, 2000).
Participants in the two-year tutoring program significantly outperformed no-service comparison
children on measures of word reading, reading fluency, and vocabulary but not on
comprehension. A comparison group of volunteer adults who do not receive training or materials
but who spend an equivalent amount of time with comparable children might shed some light on
the nature of the effects due to tutoring versus interactions with a caring adult.
Across the board, consensus exists about the need for training volunteers in semistructured programs using manuals and other resource materials. In order to assess the
effectiveness of the volunteer efforts, researchers will need to go beyond the prescribed activities
and session frameworks outlined in these materials to focus on the specific actions of tutors (Juel,
1996; Topping, 1998) and on children’s progress in oral and written language.
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Author’s Note
Preparation of this document was partially supported by a grant (97LEIN015) from the Corporation
for National Service (CNS) of the Learn & Serve America Program for Higher Education.
Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the official position of CNS.
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Manuals Reviewed
Arnold, C. (1997). Read with me: A guide for student volunteers starting early childhood literacy
programs. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Bader, L. A. (1998). Read to succeed: Literacy tutor’s manual. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice
Hall.
Chall, J. S., Roswell, F. G., Fletcher, M. B., Richmond, D. (1998). Teaching children to read: A
step-by-step guide for volunteer tutors. Elizabethtown, PA: Continental.
Hermann, B. A. (1994). The volunteer tutor's toolbox. Delaware, MD: International Reading
Association.
Johnston, F. R., Invernizzi, M., & Juel, C. (1998). Book buddies: Guidelines for volunteer tutors of
emergent and early readers. New York: Guilford.
Koralek, D., & Collins, R. (1997). On the road to reading: A guide for community partners. Vienna, VA:
Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.
Laminack, L. L. (1998). Volunteers working with young readers. Urbana, IL: National Council of
Teachers of English.
Merrill, M. (1998). Volunteer literacy manual. Columbus, OH: Reading Recovery Council of North
America.
Morrow, L. M. & Walker, B. J. (1997). The reading team: A handbook for volunteer tutors K-3.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (1997). Help America read: A handbook for volunteers.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (1997). A coordinator’s guide to help America read: A handbook for
volunteers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Roller, C. M. (1998). So . . . What’s a tutor to do? Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Walker, B. J., & Morrow, L. M. (1998). Tips for the reading team: Strategies for tutors. Newark,
DE: International Reading Association.
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Walker, B. J., Scherry, R., & Morrow, L. M. (1999). Training the reading team: A guide for supervisors
of a volunteer tutoring program. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
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References
Baker, S., Gersten, R., & Keating, T. (2000). When less may be more: A 2-year longitudinal evaluation
of a volunteer tutoring program requiring minimal training. Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 494519.
Edmondson, J. (1998). America Reads: Doing battle. Language Arts, 76, 154-162.
Hopkins, C. J. (1998). “I’m here to help--what do you want me to do?”: A primer for literacy tutors. The
Reading Teacher, 52, 310-312.
Invernizzi, M., Juel, C., & Rosemary, C. A. (1996/1997). The Reading Teacher, 50, 304-311.
Juel, C. (1988). Learning to read and write: A longitudinal study of fifty-four children from first
through fourth grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80, 437-447.
Morris, D., Shaw, B., & Perney (1990). Helping low readers in grades 2 and 3: An after-school
volunteer tutoring program. The Elementary School Journal, 91, 133-150.
Riley, R. W. (1997). The challenge and promise of reading: From the desk of the Secretary of
Education. Teaching K-8, 27 (6), 6.
Topping, K. (1998). Effective tutoring in America Reads: A reply to Wasik. The Reading Teacher,
52, 42-50.
Wasik, B. A. (1998). Volunteer tutoring programs in reading: A review. Reading Research
Quarterly, 33, 266-292.