Literacies tutor
Support those who need extra help to read and write. Your teaching will boost your students' skills, confidence and self-esteem. It could even change their life.
Also known as: reading tutor, private tutor, literacy tutor
About the job
What it's like
You’ll use your talent for teaching and have an excellent grasp of English to help people improve their reading and writing. Your students might still be at school, or they might have left long ago and would benefit from support with these essential skills.
This role is about much more than teaching literacy. Often the people in your classes will have complex needs – they might need your help to overcome learning difficulties or domestic challenges. The adults you teach might be suffering from addiction or homelessness.
You’ll be empathetic and understanding of the fact that struggling with reading and writing can affect students’ self-esteem. You’ll design lessons around the pace they’re able to learn, and think beyond traditional teaching techniques to find innovative ways to engage and inspire.
Above all, you’ll create opportunities to grow your pupils’ confidence and give them the skills they need to study independently and thrive beyond your lessons.
Some literacy tutors work one-to-one, while others teach small groups.
What you’ll do
Prepare lesson plans tailored to students’ interests
Create teaching materials including presentations, worksheets and handouts
Track pupils’ progress and provide reports for parents or guardians
Mark classwork and homework and give feedback to help students improve
Demonstrate how to use educational computer software
Identify if a student is struggling, find out why and provide extra support
Respond to student questions by email or phone
Prepare students for exams or tests
Keep confidential student records up to date
Coordinate teaching assistants
Keep up to speed with curriculum requirements
Hours
Most tutors have the option to set their own hours. Working after school or during evenings and weekends is common. Tutoring sessions typically last an hour, but this depends on the size of your groups and the needs of your students.
Environment
Where you work is generally up to you. You might choose to base yourself in a school, community centre or other public space. Or you could work at home or in your students' homes. If you choose to visit your students at home, you'll probably want to have your own transport so you can travel from place to place efficiently.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- effective communication
- assistive technology
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- developing a plan
- written communication
- verbal communication
- building relationships
- adaptability
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Administration and Information Technology
English
Maths (Mathematics)
Applications of Mathematics
You can develop the necessary skills for this role through a variety of routes.
Some Literacies Tutors will have an NC or Professional Development Award (PDA) in Educational Support Assistance but you don’t always need formal qualifications. You would, however, be expected to be able to demonstrate competence to at least National 5 level in reading, writing and maths.
Depending on the provider you work for, you may be asked to complete a course such as ‘Introduction to Tutoring in Adult Literacies Learning’ (ITALL).
Apprenticeships
You can gain skills and qualifications in the workplace through options such as:
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time.
You might want to consider an MA in areas such as:
Youth work
Not all employers list specific qualification requirements but they might ask for relevant experience, usually work based, that show a range of transferable skills.
You would need to be confident in your literacy and numeracy skills and be a confident communicator who is patient and supportive.
It would also be useful to have experience of working with young people and/or adults and this could be through paid or voluntary work.
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