In Palm Beach County public schools, the percentage of third-grade students reading below grade level is now at 43%. Most of these students spent their kindergarten and first grade trying to learn virtually, as schools were closed due to the pandemic, and these students are now trying to catch up.
Children learn to read in Kindergarten through third grade, and read to learn in grades four and above. The Literacy Coalition has partnered with the School District of Palm Beach County for the past 12 years to help remedy this lack of reading skills. Volunteers are recruited, trained, and supported to tutor these struggling readers.
Become a Volunteer Tutor and Help a Child Learn to Read
Children learn to read in Kindergarten through third grade, and read to learn in grades eight and above. The Literacy Coalition has partnered with the School District of Palm Beach County for the past 12 years to help remedy this lack of reading skills. Volunteers are recruited, trained and supported to tutor these struggling readers.
You can register to be notified of future trainings to become a volunteer tutor by clicking the button below.
FREE After School Tutoring — Applications Open August 31
Thank you for your interest in our tutoring programs! At this time, applications are temporarily on hold as all summer program locations have reached capacity.
Applications for the 2026–2027 after-school tutoring program will open on Monday, August 31, 2026. Please check back then for updated information and application details. We appreciate your interest and support!
Information about the program:
Building Better Readers helps improve reading comprehension for students in first through eighth grade. We’ve expanded our tutoring program to help students improve their reading. Students in first through eighth grade can receive free in-person, one-to-one tutoring for one hour per week on the following days and times through the current school year.
By The Numbers
729
first through fourth grade students were tutored in classrooms, afterschool locations and virtually at 36 elementary schools by 362 volunteer tutors.
10,128
hours of one-on-one tutoring to students in first through fourth grade were provided by our volunteer tutors
93.5
of the participants demonstrated a gain in literacy skills, with 77.5% of the participants meeting the goal of ending the school year at least 50% closer to reading on grade level and 32% of the students making it all the way to grade level.
Success Story
Continue Reading”The Literacy Coalition, in partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County, created the Building Better Readers program to help students accomplish grade level reading. Now in its 12th year, Building Better Readers has expanded to serve 729 students from first through fourth grade in 36 schools and after school locations throughout Palm Beach County. The program has trained community volunteers who...
Community Impact
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In 2022-2023, the Coalition provided tutoring to 328 first and second-grade students that were tutored in classrooms at 28 elementary schools by 152 volunteer tutors.
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51 volunteers tutored 88 first through fourth-grade students after school, both virtually and in person at the Literacy Coalition.
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Of the 416 students tutored in 2022-2023, 78% of them ended the year at least 50% closer to grade level than when they began the year and 30% actually ended the year on grade level.
Thank You to Our Partners and Program Funders
