This article synthesizes results from 5 studies that used noncertified tutors to work with at‐risk primary‐grade readers. Each of the studies featured (1) twice‐weekly tutoring lessons that included guided reading, word study, and reading for fluency; and (2) supervision of the tutoring by a knowledgeable reading teacher. Results from the 5 studies provided convergent evidence that noncertified reading tutors (community volunteers and teacher aides) can be effective with struggling readers. However, their effectiveness was, in large part, due to the amount and quality of guidance they received from the supervising reading teacher.