Reading Success: Virtual Tutoring

Due to the pandemic, United Way of Lake County’s Reading Success program has transitioned to a virtual format in order to ensure that students who need reading tutoring can continue to connect to our volunteer tutors. The goal of Reading Success remains the same: to help ensure the students chosen for the program achieve at or near grade-level reading by the end of 3rd grade. Now more than ever, it is important to connect with those students who need extra help.

Reading Success volunteers meet weekly with their students using the Google Classroom platform. Each volunteer and student pairing reads stories and answers story-related questions together. The readings largely come from Learning A-Z and Raz-Kids, which provide leveled reading resources and deliver interactive computer-based books and quizzes at 29 reading levels. In addition, volunteers have opportunities to share their own favorite stories with their students.

80%+ of children from low-income families are not proficient readers by the end of third grade. (Campaign For Grade Level Reading)

First-grade students who received Reading Success tutoring had reading improvement rates over 2x HIGHER than their classmates who didn’t participate.

Thank you to our dedicated volunteers, the teachers who have welcomed the volunteers, and the Waukegan Public School District staff who have assisted us in launching virtual Reading Success. It truly takes a community!

For more information on Reading Success, please contact Sue Baehr at sue.baehr@uwlakeco.org.