City of Monrovia

MONROVIA PUBLIC LIBRARY LITERACY SERVICES
321 S. Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016  (626) 256-8272
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The Monrovia Public Library provides free one-on-one tutoring for adults with literacy challenges.  All program participants are referred to instructional materials such as books, software and activities, as well as training, on-going support, and evaluation.   Being a literacy tutor requires patience and compassion and less than 2 hours per week.  If you would like to become a literacy tutor or know someone who needs help reading, please contact Literacy Services at 626-256-8272 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Mission statement:

The Monrovia Public Library Literacy Program is the bridge between the literate and non-literate world, providing one-to-one tutoring, computer and video instruction, as well as a positive, nurturing environment for those who wish to cross the bridge into literacy. For our students, we provide a path to a better life, to ending the family cycles of illiteracy, and to building self esteem, awareness, and knowledge.

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, September 9, 9 am - 2 pm: Field Trip to the Getty Museum.  Day at the Getty - View the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection of European drawings, paintings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts and American and European photographs from the 19th century to the present, as well as selections from the special collections of the Research Library at the Getty Research Institiute.  There will be special reading materials for learners in advance.  Adult literacy learners and tutors can pick up reading materials from Melanie in the Literacy Office.  $10 per person; please register at the Community Center at 119 W. Palm Ave. (across the street from the Library)

TUTOR REPORTS DUE at the end of each month. Click here for the form

How you can help:
Volunteer as a Literacy tutor; View the job description

Donate: at www.monrovialiteracy.bbnow.org or send a check made out to Monrovia Public LIbrary with Literacy Services in the memo line,
at 321 S. Myrtle Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016.  You can watch our fundraising progress on a fund-o-meter on our blog at: http://monrovialiteracy.wordpress.com/.

Ask the company you work for if they give money to charities.  Many companies give to the charities where their employees volunteer and /or match contributions that their employees make.

If you are a literacy tutor, ask your learner to make a contribution or do something to raise money.

Publicize our fundraising website - http://monrovialiteracy.bbnow.org/ - by linking it on your Facebook page or emailing it out to your friends and family.

Buy literacy-related products at our gift shop: http://www.cafepress.com/monrovialit

There is a donation box in the Literacy office, so anyone is welcome to drop off cash or checks any time!  checks should be made out to           Monrovia Public Library with Literacy Services in the memo line.

You can watch our fundraising progress on a fund-o-meter on our blog at : http://monrovialiteracy.wordpress.com/.

Refer an adult with reading or writing challenges to our program.  If you know an adult who needs reading help in another area of California, have them call 1-888-SOS-READ (1-888-767-7323).  In addition to tutoring, we:

-GED (General Education Development)
-Phonics and spelling
-Vocational / career development
-Soft skills development, such as organizational skills and time management
-English as a Foreign Language

Links to helpful websites:
Literacy Services Blog: http://monrovialiteracy.wordpress.com/
Gift Shop for literacy and reading goodies: www.cafepress.com/monrovialit
Donations to Literacy Services using credit cards or Paypal: monrovialiteracy.bbnow.org

Literacy Connections - Provides a wealth of articles for tutors such as tips, suggestions, and sample activities. It has an approachable booklist for beginning adult learners! Has resources specifically for adult literacy.

Skillswise - Provides sample lesson plans, tracking sheets, inspirational stories, and resources specifically for tutoring dyslexia.

Verizon Thinkfinity - Features four different classifications of material which could be considered relevant to literacy tutors: "Teacher Resources,""Thinkfinity Literacy Network," and "Parent Resources." In addition, the "Content and Web Projects" sub-section beneath the "Rollout Network" classifier features numerous additional resources for tutors working with students of any age in any subject matter. "Teacher Resources"; Features a database of resources primarily geared towards helping educators develop lesson plans. However, the majority of these lessons are likely not implemented in today's formal classroom setting due to the strictness of California state standards. There are numerous creative and challenging lessons that can pique any learner's interest in any facet of the language arts. Check the ReadWriteThink sub-section of "Teacher Resources" to find these lessons. "Thinkfinity Literacy Network": Features material specific to adult and community literacy. Under the "Teach" sub-section, lesson plan ideas are provided for learners of all ages, as well as Spanish resources for WSL learners. "Parent Resources": Actually links to the same page of links as the "Teacher Resources" "Featured Reources" page. Additionally, the site also features a series of free training courses designed to assist new tutors in finding ways to reach out the their students at the following link: http://literacynetwork.verizon.org/Free-Online-Corses.21.0.html

Southern California Library Literacy Network - Networking and training information for literacy programs and tutors.

More helpful links are on Literacy Services' blog at: http://monrovialiteracy.wordpress.com/.

 Other programs with which we collaborate: 
1. Pro-Active Tutoring for At-Risk Students
Mission statement: The goal of this program is to reduce the number of at risk students who are failing two or more subjects. We will also help students who have been referred as at-risk. Our pro-active tutoring program includes tutoring, weekly progress reports, parent and teacher contact, counseling and mentoring. The mentor will act as an Ombudsman for the at-risk student monitoring their on-going progress. We identify each student's weakness in reading, language and math using their individual SAT-9 or CAT test profiles. We then work with those individuals to correct these deficiencies before they fail and become at-risk. Defining At-Risk: Beside the above identification of student's weaknesses, at-risk students are identified by several means:

1. In September a survey form is given to each teacher and staff person where we ask him or her to identify and list any student already showing      signs of academic problems.
2. All students who scored below the 39 percentile on their most recent sat-9 test scores are identified.
3. We also review all referrals on potential at-risk students by staff and parents.
4. At each grading period (six times a year) we make a list of all students who have two or more failures.

Mentoring (tutoring) - Our next step is to customize an individual program for each of these students. The tutor is more than just a tutor; he or she is also a mentor or big brother or sister.

Tutors in the Classroom - To emphasize our PRO-ACTIVE aspect of tutoring, many of our Citrus College tutors have been placed in the classrooms of strategic reading and math classes. They are working with the teachers, learning their curriculum and tutoring students both in the classroom and in our tutoring centers. The response from the teachers has been overwhelmingly positive.

Parent Contacts - Essential to any pro-active counseling program is parent contact. In our program parents will be contacted on an individual basis so we can discuss ways to help the students at school and home. A weekly progress report can be initiated if necessary.

Progress Reports - If a student continues to struggle, a regular progress report can be initiated by the mentor or parent. The student presents this report to each teacher her or she has for each period of the day. The teacher makes a quick notation of grades, work, and deportment for that week. Our program counselor then analyzes the report and contacts the parents accordingly.

Academic Restriction (Ineligibility List) - All students who fail more than one subject are placed on the ineligibility list for A.R. (Academic Restriction). This mean they cannot participate in any extra curricular school activity. This includes sports, music, assemblies, school dances, etc. the only way to be removed from this list is by having no failures on their mid-grade progress report (with a 2.0 grade point average) or by passing six out of seven subjects on their next report card.

For more information, please contact Duke Freyermuth at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

2. Monrovia READS - http://www.monroviareads.org
Monrovia Reads is a non-profit organization committed to creating and supporting an environment where reading is valued and resources are provided in order that all community members know how to read and do read. In addition to overseeing the Literacy Van, Monrovia Reads gives books away to Monrovia school children, provides books for classroom libraries in Monrovia, and sponsors the Pro-Active Tutoring program. Monrovia Reads organizes and supports a number of programs including:

• A twice yearly Read Across Monrovia which brings school children and community together in a shared experience with literature. The read-ins are held in October and March between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. at all the local public elementary schools in Monrovia with community leaders, business people, and volunteers sharing some favorite works from literature with the students.
• A literacy van that provides a circulating library and a daily preschool story and activity time at designated stops in the community where young children and their families have little or no access to the Monrovia Library.
• A Pro-Active-Tutoring (PAT) program at the middle schools and high school that supports struggling students and assists others in college preparatory programs. Many of the tutors are local college students in work-study programs preparing for teaching credentials. Some are community volunteers.
• A program of regular distribution of new books to families with children in poverty or lower socioeconomic status. Twice yearly the clients of the Unity Center (Back-to-School and Christmas Events) receive new books because we know many of these homes have little or no reading material.
• Mini-grant program for teachers of the middle school and high school that provides class sets of selected literature books when lack of funding in the school budget prevents purchase. Paperback books provide students with their own copies to help complete reading assignments that may be kept for their own personal libraries.

Monrovia Reads, PO Box 1033, Monrovia, CA 91017
Contacts: Joanne Spring: (626) 358-1952, Diana Knight: (626) 357-9500