Literacy
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Tutor Tips
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Some Tips from LVCC

1.   Be patient with your learner! If you have ever taken a foreign language, you know how hard it is. Also, be sure to stay focused on the learner's needs and objectives. Be confident- learning a language takes time! 

2.   Ensure that both you and your learner definitely know the name and contact information of each other. Greet each other using various forms of your names over the course of a few classes until it becomes natural. Many tutors and learners report that they don’t know each other’s names even after a few months.

3.   Establish appropriate ways to communicate lack of understanding early in your tutoring sessions. (e.g., Could you repeat that please? I didn’t understand what you said).

4.   Remember that the four language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, can be taught together and help reinforce each other in terms of learning and understanding the concept. For example, you can always end a conversation exercise by writing the words and sentences used, giving the students the opportunity to read and write the words and sentences that they used orally.

5.   Your aim as a tutor is not primarily to teach grammatical rules but standard usage so that your learners will get a feel for the accepted form of spoken English by listening to fluent speakers like you. The same goes for the written word as well.

6.   Keep in mind that learners are 50% of the lesson planning process. Teach them what they want to learn, and you will have a much more motivated learner, as well as a better teaching experience.

7.   Use 'real' language. Become an investigator for real-life materials that will help you with your tutoring and that will help your learner learn the ins and outs of the language. Materials crop up everywhere- use newspapers, magazines, brochures, email, websites, poetry, food containers, manuals, children's books, etc. There is no limit!

Ten Tutor Tips
by Melinda Burns

As a tutor, I'm always on the lookout for great new tips that help me work more effectively with the adults we serve. These are Top Ten Tips that have worked very well for me over the years. I would also encourage you to share your tutor tips to include here.

"Through sharing we learn more and better."

1.    Be organized and ready for anything. As tutors, we always follow the lead of the student. Be prepared to follow that lead. Learning is much more productive and meaningful for the student.

2.   Have tons of material ready to go. Be familiar with as many different types and levels of materials as possible. Some you can read aloud, some can be for your student to read. Gather or borrow materials on as many topics as possible. The more variety in your materials, the better.

3.   Review learning goals at least once a month with your student. These should be dated and in writing. Also list with the goals the measurement of achievement. How will you and the learner know he/she has achieved each goal? KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly) is good to keep in mind here.

4.  Structure each lesson with the student. Three major areas are usually plenty for a one-hour session. Doing this right at the beginning of each lesson helps bring a clear focus to your time together. Write down the three main topics of the lesson and then follow it. Graphic organizers work very well for this step, especially with individuals with disabilities.

5.    Repeat, repeat, repeat. Repeat anything you teach in as many ways as possible, with as much application to as many different situations as possible.

6.   Use the materials available through our LV library. They provide a wealth of multi-sensory materials that are real-life and age appropriate.

7.     Keep it fun! Reading is serious business, but more fun within the lesson helps keep it lighter and easier to remember.

8.    Discuss to regularly check on reading comprehension. Oral dialogue is essential to find out what the learner is actually understanding when they read silently or out loud. Open-ended questions will stimulate the most thinking and help the reader make connections to the text. e.g. "Why do you think the character did that in the story?"

9.    List what the student knows and needs to know. Lists provide a quick and easy visual reference to the content of your lessons. Include a title for and date each list. For example, a periodic, quick 2-minute listing by the student of all the words he/she knows will help you assess how learning is progressing.

10.  Attend more LV training sessions. Training updates your skills, gives you new ideas, offers tremendous support and affords you the opportunity to talk with other tutors.

Happy tutoring!

(Posted by permission of Literacy Volunteers Mohawk/Hudson)

Also check out the following websites with tips:

Hands-on English:  http://www.handsonenglish.com/40tips.html

Madison House Migrant Aid Program: http://scs.student.virginia.edu/~madison/migrantaid/tutoringtips.html

Mohawk Hudson LV:  http://lvamohawkhudson.org/tips/index.htm

Developing Teachers:  http://developingteachers.com/tips/pasttips.htm

TESL:  http://iteslj.org/links/TESL/Teaching_Tips_and_Ideas

San Francisco School Volunteers:  www.sfsv.org/tutor3.html
and www.sfsv.org/tutor2.html

 

THOSE WHO CAN, TEACH!

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