As I was searching around the internet today, I found a site I thought would be great for literacy tutors. Scholastic often has lesson plans, activities and resources that I enjoy, but I really love their new site You Are What You Read.
You Are What You Read would be a wonderful exercise to do with your learner. Basically, you find gently used books that you would like to donate. Then, you print the nameplate and fill it out. Once you have it inside the book, donate the book to your local library or to a charity, or give it to a friend or family member.
Not only would this allow your learner to feel like a part of a community of readers, but it can also allow them to give back to their communities. By giving your learner a way to give back, it can make them feel more apt to participate in you lessons and in their own learning experience.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
President's Day Activities
A fun way to make tutoring more meaningful is to connect it your lessons to events and holidays. Since President's Day is coming up soon, incorporating activities that review history can make your activities more fun.
There are so many writing activities that can be done for President's Day. I found a great template for writing a letter to President Obama and a presidents acrostic poem template on ABC Teach. There are other ways you can use President's day to write. For example, discuss an event in history that involves a president. Have your learner write a story about that event or tell the story from their point of view. You could also have them write what they would do if they were president for a day.
I was also able to find some adorable crafts. For instance, this Abraham Lincoln finger puppet was so easy to make! You can also make one that looks like George Washington. Read a story about these presidents while your learner makes their puppets!
You can also use this theme for reading comprehension activities. For example, ABC Teach has some fantastic president biographies that include review questions. You can read these to your learner or have your learner read them silently and answer the questions. Another reading comprehension activity could be to read the Gettysburg Address or "Oh Captain, My Captain!" by Walt Whitman and making questions of your own for your learners to answer or having them write about what they have read.
There are wonderful resources online for tutors who want to add some fun into their lessons. Just take some time to poke around and you can use every day as a learning experience.
There are so many writing activities that can be done for President's Day. I found a great template for writing a letter to President Obama and a presidents acrostic poem template on ABC Teach. There are other ways you can use President's day to write. For example, discuss an event in history that involves a president. Have your learner write a story about that event or tell the story from their point of view. You could also have them write what they would do if they were president for a day.
I was also able to find some adorable crafts. For instance, this Abraham Lincoln finger puppet was so easy to make! You can also make one that looks like George Washington. Read a story about these presidents while your learner makes their puppets!
You can also use this theme for reading comprehension activities. For example, ABC Teach has some fantastic president biographies that include review questions. You can read these to your learner or have your learner read them silently and answer the questions. Another reading comprehension activity could be to read the Gettysburg Address or "Oh Captain, My Captain!" by Walt Whitman and making questions of your own for your learners to answer or having them write about what they have read.
There are wonderful resources online for tutors who want to add some fun into their lessons. Just take some time to poke around and you can use every day as a learning experience.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
How to Help When Learning New Words
In my time as a literacy tutor, I have had some issues with finding effective tools for helping learners when they encounter an unknown word in their reading. However, I have recently found some great resources for just this type of problem. I hope you can use them to help your learner catch on to new words more easily!
First, discuss with your learner the idea of context clues. What clues are in the sentence around the word? Is there any explanation in the passage? This can help your learner understand that sometimes help can be found by simply looking more closely at the text.
For further help, use some creative tools. I like to have my learners draw a representation of the new word. For a younger learner, this would mean writing the word, drawing a picture of the word, and using the word in a sentence. I have them use a piece of construction paper for this so they can give it to their parents at the end of the lesson. For older learners, have them draw a map of the word. In the center of the page, write the word and draw a circle around it. Then, draw arrows from the circle leading to a drawing of the word, a synonym, an antonym, a sentence, a rhyming word, the definition, an example, and the word split into syllables. Though it may seem like a lot, they'll be very proud that they were able to find so much information about one word.
Another activity to try is a word bank. Have either a box or an envelope that your learner can freely put their new words into. Any time they encounter a new word, they will write the word and its meaning on a slip of paper and put it in their "bank". Once you have finished the book or passage, you will compile the list to give your learner and use the words as a review. You can do this in a game or a quiz. Be creative!
Any time you feel that your learner may be struggling with the meaning of a certain word, do not hesitate to use some of these tools or a tool of your own to intervene. Comprehending unfamiliar vocabulary is necessary to reading comprehension. Helping your learner develop reading skills is one of the best things you can do!
First, discuss with your learner the idea of context clues. What clues are in the sentence around the word? Is there any explanation in the passage? This can help your learner understand that sometimes help can be found by simply looking more closely at the text.
For further help, use some creative tools. I like to have my learners draw a representation of the new word. For a younger learner, this would mean writing the word, drawing a picture of the word, and using the word in a sentence. I have them use a piece of construction paper for this so they can give it to their parents at the end of the lesson. For older learners, have them draw a map of the word. In the center of the page, write the word and draw a circle around it. Then, draw arrows from the circle leading to a drawing of the word, a synonym, an antonym, a sentence, a rhyming word, the definition, an example, and the word split into syllables. Though it may seem like a lot, they'll be very proud that they were able to find so much information about one word.
Another activity to try is a word bank. Have either a box or an envelope that your learner can freely put their new words into. Any time they encounter a new word, they will write the word and its meaning on a slip of paper and put it in their "bank". Once you have finished the book or passage, you will compile the list to give your learner and use the words as a review. You can do this in a game or a quiz. Be creative!
Any time you feel that your learner may be struggling with the meaning of a certain word, do not hesitate to use some of these tools or a tool of your own to intervene. Comprehending unfamiliar vocabulary is necessary to reading comprehension. Helping your learner develop reading skills is one of the best things you can do!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Great Websites for Printables
I love to use printable worksheets in my lesson. From writing prompts to graphic organizers, they always seem to add a little extra organization to my lesson. I have a few websites that I always visit when I'm looking for printable resources. I'll share them with you here!
On of my favorite websites is Super Teacher Worksheets. If you're looking for writing prompts, reading reviews, book logs, or graphic organizers, visit this site first. Also, they have a great selection of Dolch tools. I especially like their sight word wheel. I printed off several to use here at the tutoring center!
Other sites for a variety of worksheets are TLS Books, The Teacher's Corner, and Ed Helper. Try adding some worksheets to reinforce what you learn, but make sure not to make that your whole lesson!
On of my favorite websites is Super Teacher Worksheets. If you're looking for writing prompts, reading reviews, book logs, or graphic organizers, visit this site first. Also, they have a great selection of Dolch tools. I especially like their sight word wheel. I printed off several to use here at the tutoring center!
Other sites for a variety of worksheets are TLS Books, The Teacher's Corner, and Ed Helper. Try adding some worksheets to reinforce what you learn, but make sure not to make that your whole lesson!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Black History Month: Recognizing History With Reading
One of my favorite things to do as a literacy tutor is to incorporate holidays, history, and current events into my lesson plans. Since this month is Black History Month, I'll give you a few options for using this to create lessons that teach reading and so much more.
As a member of the National Council for Teachers of English, I strongly recommend using their "Read In" strategy. Though this can be an elaborate activity, you can explain to your learner that it is as simple as reading books together written by African American authors. Discuss with your learner why it may be important to ensure that reading is a part of Black History Month. Ask questions like: Why should we read books about what happened in the past? Why is this important now? Use this strategy to help your learner understand the role of literacy and why it is important.
For writing, have your learner read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from Birmingham's Jail. Have your learners write their own letters. You can have them write another letter as Dr. King, or you can allow them to imagine themselves in the time period. For another activity, write poetry. There are so many amazing African American poets to use as models that this activity can be a way to reinforce what you've learned while learning more about literature. Remember, it's important to create something in every lesson.
There are some great books you can read for this theme. I love Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman for younger learners and The Watsons Go to Birmingham for learners grades 5 and up. For older learners, you can use poetry by popular writers like Maya Angelou and Gwendolyn Brooks. Just make sure it's age-appropriate! You can look for books about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, and many other influential African Americans. Also, go for topics like the Civil Rights Movement, The Underground Railroad and other topics like this. Anything you can tie to history or current events will go a long way in making your lesson useful and relevant.
If you're feeling adventurous, there are some fantastic online resources. The National Geographic Channel offers an online game that allows students to experience some of the Underground Railroad online. Students travel through the interactive website to learn more about history while "playing a game". I really like that site! If you're looking for lesson plans, the Library of Congress online has great resources. My favorite is this lesson about the roles of children in the Civil Rights Movement. For more options, just look around. A quick Google search gives so many options, you'll be learning about Black History all month long!
As a member of the National Council for Teachers of English, I strongly recommend using their "Read In" strategy. Though this can be an elaborate activity, you can explain to your learner that it is as simple as reading books together written by African American authors. Discuss with your learner why it may be important to ensure that reading is a part of Black History Month. Ask questions like: Why should we read books about what happened in the past? Why is this important now? Use this strategy to help your learner understand the role of literacy and why it is important.
For writing, have your learner read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from Birmingham's Jail. Have your learners write their own letters. You can have them write another letter as Dr. King, or you can allow them to imagine themselves in the time period. For another activity, write poetry. There are so many amazing African American poets to use as models that this activity can be a way to reinforce what you've learned while learning more about literature. Remember, it's important to create something in every lesson.
If you're feeling adventurous, there are some fantastic online resources. The National Geographic Channel offers an online game that allows students to experience some of the Underground Railroad online. Students travel through the interactive website to learn more about history while "playing a game". I really like that site! If you're looking for lesson plans, the Library of Congress online has great resources. My favorite is this lesson about the roles of children in the Civil Rights Movement. For more options, just look around. A quick Google search gives so many options, you'll be learning about Black History all month long!
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