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Reading Is KEY! Why and How to Make Reading an Essential Component of Tutoring |
"Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.” Oprah Winfrey Getting Started Tutoring sessions should be structured to be effective.
This doesn’t mean that they have to be rigid or that you can’t abandon your plans if something different seems more appropriate. The sessions are
approximately one hour and forty five minutes. The basic format for each session is to help with homework and then to assist with reading skills.
Teachers want the students to read for thirty minutes during each session. That doesn't mean ithas to be continuous and for most of these children you
will want to break up the reading into smaller units of time. You may want to start the session with light conversation by asking how their week was and what they’ve been doing in school or at home since you last
met with them. It really helps children to feel that you care about their lives rather than just what they can do with math or reading today. It is
also a great way to practice conversation skills for the children who are not native English language speakers. Listening and responding in conversation
is a way to increase literacy as well as strengthen your rapport with the child. Reading is one of the most important tasks you can engage in as a volunteer tutor. Although reading silently to her/himself is an appropriate reading activity,
it is hard to gauge skill development if you either cannot hear the child read or do not get feedback on their comprehension of what they have just read. With this is mind it may be helpful to have the child you are working with read aloud. Or you can tak turns reading aloud to one another. It really helps keep
the focus as well allows you to have a better understanding of their reading ability. You might also want to spend part of the time, especially with younger children,
reading aloud as they follow along. The positive impact of reading to a child are many and has been shown to increase interest in and skills related to reading
literacy. It's also fun! As you read involve the child with frequent questions about the book; text, story or subject and pictures. The
Hints for Reading Out Loud website can help inform you on the benefits and practice of reading aloud to children. Literacy Connections provides a wealth of information on reading, teaching and tutoring techniques, ESL literacy, and adult literacy. We recommend
resources that are useful for teachers, volunteers, and directors of literacy programs. Topics include the language experience approach, phonics,
word study, and the best in children's literature. You can find more information at the Literacy Connections
website. "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” Margaret Fuller
Morey, October, 2007