Volunteer Tutor Needed: I am looking for a volunteer to provide reading instruction to an Arlington woman who is very motivated to learn to read and write.

I volunteer at Mission:NOVA as a social worker and I met with this very motivated woman who wants to learn how to read and write. She was born in the US, has parents born in the US and English is her first and only language. She stated she had a learning disability and has not learned to read and write. She wants to learn how to read and told me she can’t find any programs in the Arlington area that help native English speakers learn to read. She is not ready for the pre-GED program through Arlington schools as she needs more instruction.

I called the English Empowerment Center (formerly Literary Council of Northern Virginia) and though they used to have a program for adult student Native English speakers, there were only a few students with this need, so they discontinued it. I have approached county librarians, Arlington retired teachers, the ARC of Northern Virginia, reading specialist friends, and a host of other organizations. There are many organizations helping non-native English speakers, but nothing seems available for this smaller but important niche of a population.

I found a librarian who searched and found resources to use if I find a volunteer to tutor this woman, and I’d be happy to share those if there is a person who would like to volunteer to meet this need. You can reach me at cpthompson20@gmail.com or 703-598-1782. Thanks for considering. 

– Phyllis Thompson