Thank you for your interest in FOG Readers, a 1:1 tutoring program for children enrolled in grades 1-4 who are struggling with reading.
Students enrolled in the FOG Readers Program increase reading confidence, gain an average half-grade level in the first 3 months and read more at home, for fun!
We serve children who live or attend school in San Francisco.
Students meet with an assigned tutor once a week for 45 minutes to an hour. Tutors are volunteers for the library and are not professional educators, nor are they getting paid for their time. Tutors are background checked and fingerprinted.
Please note, tutors may only work with student online or in person when in-person tutoring resumes and at the discretion of the tutor and the student’s family.
During COVID, tutors and students meet online using Zoom or other online meeting tools.
There is currently a waitlist for students to be paired with tutors. You can add your child to the waitlist by completing the online Get a Tutor form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my child is not behind in reading?
As an intervention strategy, the focus of the program is to support students who are not reading at grade level. Student who are reading at grade level or higher are beyond the scope of FOG Readers will be exited from the program.
What if my child is in Kindergarten or fifth grade or older?
If your child is in kindergarten, they are not old enough for FOG Readers program.
If your child is older than fourth grade, they are beyond the grade level focus for the FOG Readers program.
If your child needs reading help, make sure to also ask your school site and your child’s teacher. There is also community-based support to be found with Support for Families for Children for Disabilities.
How will we know if FOG Readers is GOOD fit?
The FOG Readers tutor takes the student through an initial assessment that can take a few weeks. Then, the FOG Readers tutor will estimate a baseline in the areas of alphabet knowledge, phonics, decoding and fluency. This process helps us confirm that the student needs reading support and the program is a good fit.
What if FOG Readers is NOT a good fit?
A child that does not need reading support may become bored and distracted with the program content, which focuses on decoding skills. All students start out with the basics in Level One, which may be frustrating for your child if they are already a good reader.
Do you communicate with my child’s teacher or school?
We are not formally associated with the school district, and we do not have access to your child’s academic record. The FOG Readers program will support your child's work in school by strengthening their reading skills, but the tutoring is not based on their classroom curriculum.
Can the tutor help my child with other subjects?
No. Our tutors are not trained to provide help in homework subjects. Please do not ask them to extend the scope of their tutoring.
If your child needs homework help, please look at online library resources such as Brainfuse, which provides live homework support. Other great library resources can be found at sfpl.org/kids.