Signing Up Your Child for a FOG Readers Tutor

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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. FOG Readers focuses on basic, fundamental reading skills. Students in the program increase their reading confidence, gain an average of a 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, online or at an SF Public Library location. 

Tutors are volunteers for the library and are not professional educators, nor are they paid for their time. Tutors undergo a background check. We pair students with tutors as quickly as we can, but there is sometimes a wait. To request a tutor, first attend a Parent/Guardian Orientation Session. 

Full attendance for the Family Orientation is mandatory. You must arrive at the online or in-person meeting on time as we will start promptly. Families arriving 10 minutes or more after the start time will not move forward in the student recruitment process. The informational part of the orientation lasts no longer than 30 minutes, followed by questions. 

Family Orientation Registration for Saturday, December 7th 

Virtual Orientation

Families can attend the Family Orientation via Zoom!

Important Information:

  • Your camera must remain active, and you must be visible to verify attendance.
  • Late arrivals will not receive attendance credit.

Orientation Schedule by Language:

In-Person Orientation Viewing

Join us for a live viewing of our virtual Family Orientation! Families are invited to attend in person and will receive attendance credit.

Important Information:

  • Registration is required: Space is limited, and registration will close once full.
  • Late arrivals will not receive attendance credit.

Orientation Schedule by Language:

Location: 

San Francisco Public Library
Main Library, Learning Studio
100 Larkin St., 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

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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. Students who are reading at grade level or higher are beyond the scope of FOG Readers and 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 you would like to support their reading development at home, ‘phonemic awareness games’ can help them develop their ear for the sounds in words. Decodable readers like Bob Books can also help.

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.