The Experience Corps Program, which was initiated in 1996 in New York's South Bronx, connects retirees with children in elementary schools. The Experience Corps' volunteers, who are mostly lifelong residents of the South Bronx, work a minimum of 15 hours each week throughout the school year as mentors, tutors, and special assistants. Since 1997, Experience Corps volunteers have been enhancing education by serving as mentors to at-risk first graders in four South Bronx schools. In September 1998, 56 children who had been identified as being at risk for reading difficulties were grouped into "matched pairs" that were randomly assigned to one of two cohorts. Between September 1998 and January 1999, Experience Corps volunteers administered 40 tutoring sessions to the children in cohort A but not to those in cohort B. From January through June 1999, the volunteers administered 40 tutoring sessions to the children in cohort A but not to those in cohort B. When the children completed the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) in January 1999, the children in cohort A scored significantly higher than did those in cohort B. When the PALS was readministered in June 1999, there were no significant differences between the scores of the children in the two cohorts. (Contains 7 charts.) (MN)