Free tutoring, state literacy tools available to Louisiana families ahead of back-to-school

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - With the school year weeks away, a student-led nonprofit and the Louisiana Department of Education are offering free resources to help children stay on track academically.

Free one-on-one tutoring through Connect Me

Connect Me offers free online tutoring for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. The program is run entirely by students and has completed more than 60,000 sessions for children across the globe. Tutors cover math, science and reading.

Sessions are one hour long and held once a week. Families can request additional sessions if needed.

“We never do group tutoring,” said Mehmet Tascioglu, founder of Connect Me. “We pair all of our students with tutors who match academic fit and also personality fit so that pairing is strong when we make it. It’s just high quality. We treat this like you’re signing up for a $100 paid session, quality is our priority.”

The service is free and runs all summer long.

State literacy resources for families

The Louisiana Department of Education is also pushing tools to help families address summer learning loss through literacy. The state’s summer learning programs focus on three goals: reading, comprehension, and expressing ideas through writing and speaking.

Louisiana students reached their highest proficiency on state testing this year. The department is encouraging families to continue building on that progress through simple activities such as visiting a library or participating in community reading events.

The following free and low-cost resources are available to any family:

• Reading Rockets — Tips for struggling readers
• Reading Universe — Step-by-step reading skills
• First Book — Low-cost and free books for kids
• Get Ready to Read! — Pre-K literacy activities

No program enrollment is required to access these tools.