Literacy is our most critical skill …

… and it can mean the difference between a life well lived and a life of hardship. Unfortunately, more than 43 million Americans read at or below a basic level—with nearly 100,000 in central Arkansas alone struggling with basic literacy skills that most of us take for granted.

Teaching an adult to read has a profound and lasting impact on their ability to function successfully within our community by improving their ability to find and retain family-supporting jobs, engage in family literacy activities, and help make informed decisions that will ensure healthy lives.

Since 1986, Literacy Action has trained volunteer literacy tutors to provide basic literacy and English language instruction to thousands of adults in central Arkansas. Our success depends on the support of individuals and organizations who believe that literacy has the power to build and transform communities. We invite you to become engaged by learning more about adult literacy issues, volunteering as a literacy tutor, or by making a donation.

How We Do It

Literacy Action offers a welcoming community for adults to improve their literacy skills and enhance their quality of life—for free. With support from volunteers, donors, partners, and the community at large, Literacy Action invests in Central Arkansas’ greatest asset: our people.

Our volunteer instructors and tutors build a collaborative learning environment where adult students can expand their reading, writing, and speaking skills. Our personalized approach allows students to shape the instruction they receive, leading to improved literacy and life skills.

Our Model

INSTRUCTOR-LED:

Qualified volunteer instructors teach relevant, responsive, and level-appropriate curriculum for small groups of students in a classroom or online environment.

TUTOR-DRIVEN:

Trained volunteer tutors help our students meet their individual literacy and communication needs in one-on-one tutoring sessions, usually twice a week.

STUDENT-CENTERED:

Each student identifies academic and personal goals, and tutors design lessons to help them meet these goals. Students and tutors can meet for lessons at a location and time that is convenient for them.