Volunteers wanted to help students boost literacy in one-on-one summer reading program

pile of assorted-title books Photo: Photo by Robyn Budlender

PARK CITY, Utah — School may be out for the summer, but Park City School District is striving to help students prevent “summer slide,” a decline in academic skills that can occur over the break.

This year, McPolin Elementary School is teaming up with the district to once again host a six-week reading program, and they are looking for community volunteers to help. The program aims to boost literacy skills among students who will most benefit from consistent, individualized literacy drills and reading practice.  

Each child in the program receives a personalized curriculum, created by certified elementary-school teachers, based on assessments conducted at the start of the summer. “Just like during the school year, we will work with each child individually to complement and reinforce what they are learning in small-group instruction,” Cook said.

This individual instruction is made possible by program volunteers, who spend 30 minutes at a time in one-on-one reading sessions with students.

“Data — and our own experience — show that consistently working one-on-one with children in half-hour increments translates to steady growth,” said Kara Cook, a first-grade teacher at McPolin and the program’s founder and lead organizer. “And one-on-one reading is one of the most effective ways to improve literacy.”

The program offers more than academic support. Besides providing individualized instruction for each student, reading one-on-one also nurtures the child emotionally: they can puzzle out text without fear of failure, gradually building their confidence.

The summer literacy program will run from June 17 through July 22, Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Volunteering requires no prior teaching or tutoring experience. A certified teacher will be present at all times to guide volunteers, provide materials, and ensure a smooth experience.

“Volunteers can choose whatever duration and frequency of shifts works for them,” said Cook. “They can volunteer for an hour or in blocks of a few hours. We welcome anyone and everyone who wants to help the children of our community develop a lifelong love of reading.”

Community members interested in volunteering can sign up here. Those unable to participate in person can still support the initiative by donating books through Amazon.