More than Good Intentioned Help: Volunteer Tutoring and Elementary Readers

Abstract

In this study, researchers examined whether tutoring implemented by volunteer tutors impacted struggling elementary readers’ reading skills, their attitudes toward reading, and their self-confidence. The study involved two elementary schools and 30 students who were participating in the community based tutoring program and who were randomly assigned to reading-only or reading/writing tutoring conditions. Findings suggested that students could improve their reading fluencies if they had the support of trained adult tutors, even just once each week for 30 to 40 minutes for a semester. Female students improved in their reading fluency measure more so than did male students, but such improvement was not notable in other areas, including attitudes toward reading or self-confidence. Based upon the findings, implications and methodological issues for future study are addressed.

Keywords:

• volunteer tutoring
• reading difficulties
• attitudes
• self-confidence
• elementary student