Basic Literacy

Basic Literacy tutoring is the heart and soul of Humboldt Literacy Project. Every year our volunteers help over 100 adults using one-on-one tutoring, concentrating on the goals of the learners themselves.

The first step in the process is recruiting: HLP is always looking for volunteers who want to help someone learn to read better, and adults who want to improve their skills. When a volunteer decides to get involved, she first goes through our orientation, followed by the 14-hour Tutor Training. When a learner contacts the office, we assess him to find out in what areas he needs help, and interview him to discover what interests and goals he may have. This information forms the core of the learning program.

When all the assessing training is finished, we match tutors and learners to form learning teams. The tutors and learners decide where and when they will meet and what they will be working on. The staff at our two offices stand ready to support each learning team with suggestions, books, newsletters, additional trainings, and anything else they can do to encourage success.

Because each person has a unique combination of goals, interest, abilities and styles, it is impossible to predict how long a learning team might keep going. Some last only as long as it takes to complete one goal, like passing the drivers license test, while others have lasted for years as the learner reaches goal after goal.