FAQ

Hi, volunteers! Thanks for volunteering with us! Below, you will find a list of FAQs and tips to help you maximize your experience and your impact.

 Q: What does a volunteer session look like?

A: Volunteers read with students one on one or in small groups once a week for around 45 minutes. During some volunteer sessions there may also be holiday activities for volunteers to do with students, and at the end of every semester books will be donated to the students that volunteers work with!

Q: Do you provide transportation to the centers?

A: Yes! We provide transportation. Please sign up through Connect4Literacy with your phone number to be added to the volunteering site GroupMe, in which a carpooling spreadsheet will be sent out. If you do not receive an email or aren’t added to the GroupMe at least a day before, please contact us at readingaces09@gmail.com. We’ll respond as soon as possible. We do our best to check for last-minute sign-ups the day of, but, if you sign up the day of and need transportation to the site, please reach out to us by email (readingaces09@gmail.com) to ensure that you are added to the GroupMe in time.

Q: If I drive myself, can I meet you at the recreational center?

A: Yes, of course. We typically have an assigned room, and you can just ask the front desk to direct you or find us in the rec center lobby before the session starts. If you need any help, please contact your specific Site Coordinator through GroupMe. Additionally, if you have a car, please sign up to drive - you'll receive an extra 1 hour for each session you drive! To sign up to drive, put your phone number when signing up for the slot and you'll be added to the carpool GroupMe. You'll then have access to the carpool sheet and will be able to add your information, pickup location (on or walking distance from the UT Austin campus), and pickup time (account for traffic and leave enough time to arrive a bit before the start of the session).

Q: Is there a way I can get my volunteering hours verified?

A: Yes. Please sign up using Connect4Literacy; there’s an option to view your confirmed volunteer hours and obtain a printable document with them. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this: How to Download Volunteer Hours Certification

Q: I just signed up a few hours before volunteering begins, and I need a ride. What do I do?

A: If you sign up to volunteer a few hours before a volunteer event begins, chances are that the carpool sheets have already been sent out through GroupMe. You should still be added to a GroupMe before the session starts, where you’ll have access to the carpooling sheet. Please email us at readingaces09@gmail.com or reach out to any Reading Aces Site Coordinator through GroupMe to ensure that you are added before the volunteering session.

Q: Am I allowed to use electronics (laptops, phones, etc.) while I am volunteering?

A: Please do not use your phone or any electronics while you are volunteering. We only volunteer with the kids once a week for 45 minutes, and we want our volunteers to dedicate all of their attention to the kids. Furthermore, please do not take any photos! We want to respect the privacy of our kids as much as possible.

Q: What do I do if every kid is reading with a volunteer?

A: Sometimes there will be multiple volunteers for each kid. Ask a volunteer if you can read with their kid(s), too.

General Tips:

• The kids are very friendly! Please just approach anyone who doesn’t have a reader yet and ask them if they want to read.

• Let the kids choose what to read. They will be more excited and will pay attention if they have a say in what they read. If there are more volunteers than kids, you might have to pair up and read to a kid. On the other hand, if there are more kids than volunteers, you can read in a group, letting the kids select book(s) and reading each kid’s book in succession. Try to get the kids to pay attention as you read the other’s books. Depending on the student’s literacy level, you may have to read the book to them or help them read it aloud.

• Sometimes, it can be difficult for the children to sit down for a long period of time to read. Some children, especially the younger ones, may get distracted easily. Please remember to always be a positive role model for these students and set an example for outstanding behavior by staying calm and collected. We are there to help the kids improve their reading skills. It is neither helpful nor your job to discipline them. Each site has employees and other staff that are hired by the community center to manage the kids’ behavior.

• Please refrain from using your cell phone during the time that you are with the kids. Please show the kids that you respect and value the time you have with them by giving them your undivided attention.

• If the kids are starting to lose focus you can make them read, do popcorn reading, or ask them easy comprehension questions about the book. If they start to argue about reading, you can bargain with the candy we give to them at the end of every session. But this should be a last resort!

• Please only use Reading Aces books! Many of the kids may want to read books from home or books from school, but some of these may not be educational and/or approved.

• When it is time to clean up, please put the books and supplies back in the bin.