Like reading? Local nonprofit needs volunteers who can help kids learn

By WVUA 23 News Student Reporter Chaney Scott

A local organization focused on helping children catch up on their reading skills is searching for volunteers who are willing to help in that mission.

Tuscaloosa’s Reading Allies needs 150 more volunteers, in fact.

Reading Allies is a 10-week tutoring program for third graders with a goal of getting students reading at their grade level. Volunteers spend 30 minutes once or twice a week with a child, reading with them and tutoring.

Every volunteer is given a binder with an individualized tutoring plan for the student they’re working with. That binder contains a book the child has previously read, a word game, a new book and a notebook so they can practice their writing skills.

Volunteers can make a big impact on a child by providing encouragement and a smiling face.

“Reading Allies is important because literacy is important,” said Tuscaloosa Education Foundation Executive Director Terri Boman. “Up to third grade, a child is learning to read. After third grade, they are reading to learn. So it’s important for them to have the skills they need to become a productive member of society.”

Volunteers are investing their time into the future success of a child, Boman said, and that little push can turn a struggling student into a lifelong learner.

Reading Allies works with 12 schools located within the Tuscaloosa city and county school systems, but organization leaders hope it can expand into more schools for the next school year.

Want to learn more or sign up as a volunteer? Click right here.