Rolling Readers

Rolling Readers is California's largest non-profit children's literacy organization. It was founded in 1991 by Robert Condon in San Diego, California. After noticing the profound effects of reading aloud to his own son, Mr. Condon volunteered to read to kids at a homeless shelter. The experience was very rewarding and it just took one hour per week! From this simple beginning, thousands of Rolling Readers volunteers now read weekly to tens of thousands of children. Rolling Readers Tutors inspire the minds, spark the imaginations, and develop the reading skills of the children they tutor.

Rolling Readers Tutoring Program:

The Rolling Readers Tutoring Program is a volunteer organization designed to support children who need special assistance and massive practice in reading. Research shows the best predictor of a child's success in school is a child's ability to read fluently in the third grade. Children can improve their reading if they practice just fifteen minutes a day. A Rolling Readers Tutor listens to three children read per week for about one hour total of volunteer time.

Long Beach Rolling Reader Goals:

• Every child will read at grade level by the end of the third grade
• Every child will experience the joy of reading
• Every child's self esteem will be enhanced
• A powerful relationship will be built between the community and the schools

Who are Rolling Readers Tutors?

• Parents
• Grandparents
• Long Beach Unified School District Employees
• Community Members
• Business Partners of Long Beach Unified School District
• Local High School and College Students

How Does the Program Work?

• Volunteers receive training
• Volunteers are assigned to a participating school
• Tutors are placed on a team of four
• Each team member volunteers one hour per week
• Each tutor works with three students for 20 minutes each
• Each of the three students receives four tutoring sessions a week
• Tutors communicate through observational notes and records in a folder kept by the School     Site Coordinator
• Celebrations
• Book Giveaways three times a year
• Appreciation Events
• Weekly Read Aloud

On Volunteering and Literacy...

"I challenge each of you to get involved in one of our city's many educational or youth-serving agencies by mentoring or reading to children just one hour every week." - Beverly O'Neill, Former Mayor of the City of Long Beach

"When I come to the door of the classroom, the students beg, BEG to read to me." - Rolling Readers Tutor, Sutter Elementary School, Long Beach Unified School District

How to Become a Rolling Reader

• Parents
• Grandparents
• Long Beach Unified School District Employees
• Community Members
• Business Partners of Long Beach Unified School District
• Local High School and College Students

How to Get Involved

• Print and Fax the Rolling Reader form to the number below
• FAX (562) 997-8302
• Other Questions, call (562) 997-8047