America Reads/Counts Program

Important notice: At its April 17, 2026, meeting, the Five College American Reads and Counts Committee decided to sunset its Five College programming, effective Fall 2026.  Students can still work with the individual campuses to find placement as a tutor at local educational institutions.  Five Colleges will no longer organize Overview Trainings or Extended Training Workshops.  Students are encouraged to seek training from their sponsors.

Enlisted students from Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst have joined together in the America Reads/America Counts Program (ARAC) to help area schools and agencies serving elementary age children to obtain math and reading tutors at no cost.

For the past two decades, ARAC has placed hundreds of tutors at over 30 different local schools and community agencies in the five college community, including elementary schools, after-school programs, libraries, and child care services. The response from both the tutors and community agencies have been overwhelmingly positive

The America Reads Challenge is an effort to mobilize an army of reading tutors to ensure that every child can read independently by the end of the third grade. The program has made new increases in Federal Work Study dedicated to tutoring children in reading. Unlike other Work Study arrangements, the America Reads Challenge requires no matching funds from the schools/community agencies where tutors are working.

Recently, Five College America Reads Tutors had over 200 tutors at over 30 different local schools and community agencies, including elementary schools, after-school programs, libraries, and child care services. The response from both the tutors and the work sites has been overwhelmingly positive. One tutor wrote in her evaluation of the program, "I've realized how important it is to read and write with strength and accuracy because it says a lot about who you are." Another tutor wrote ". . . tutoring was a very educational experience for me. I enjoyed helping the children learn to read and developing a trust with the students." Similarly, the work sites have also found a great resource in the program. One site wrote in their evaluation "[the tutor] is a joy to have around. She has been flexible, able to work with different children at different levels, and is wonderfully enthusiastic. We have been delighted to have her work with our students."

America Counts is a new initiative from the Federal Government to improve the math skills of children. It works the same as America Reads, with schools, after-school programs, libraries, etc., taking part as tutoring sites, though America Counts is for children preschool through the 9th grade. America Reads is for children preschool through the 6th grade.

If you are interested in tutoring math and/or reading, look for a tutoring position by reaching out to the individuals in the contacts section. As a tutor for America Counts, you will be required to attend the same trainings as America Reads Tutors: an Overview Training Session, the Extended Training Workshop and one of the Special Topic Sessions. Other training and support will be provided by the site that has hired you as a math tutor. You also may tutor both reading and math if you choose.

Please visit the Federal Government's Department of Education web site for more information on America Counts.