Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions about volunteering for LCS:

Who may tutor with Literacy Council of Seattle?

Any person (high school graduate) over 18 may tutor with LCS after successfully completing a workshop training. Our trainings are given several times throughout the year at our offices. Look under our Events listing to find the specific dates.

How often do I need to tutor?

We recommend two sessions a week, each for 1.5 hours. The exact schedule can be worked out with your student, but this amount of time generally allows the learners to progress steadily.

How long do I need to tutor?

We ask a tutor to commit for 9-12 months. Some tutor-student pairs work together for only 3 months and many stay together for a year or more. Tutors who cannot commit for that long may substitute for another tutor, help in a class, or work intensively (3 or 4 days a week) for a shorter period.

Do I have a single student or will students keep changing?

Most tutors teach one or two specific learners. The relationship and trust are important parts of the learning process. The tutors help students set learning goals and provide encouragement and English skills training to attain those goals. If a tutor or student does not feel compatible, a new match can be arranged.

Our trained tutors can also teach classes. We partner with the Seattle Public Library, community centers, and transitional low-income housing facilities.

What is my cost?

Our workshop training is $50 dollars (some scholarships available). Our office does have an extensive lending library and offers some texts for sale. We also have teaching materials and lesson plans for your use as well as a small list of the extensive online resources available.

Who are the students?

We offer tutoring to two types of students:

English as a Second Language (ESL): The Literacy Council offers free English classes and tutoring for immigrants and refugees. According to the 2010 US Census, over 20% of Seattle residents speak a language other than English at home.

Adult Basic Education (ABE): The Literacy Council provides free tutoring to native-born English speakers whose lack of functional literacy creates tremendous economic and social hardships.