The document provides information and instructions for tutors in the America Reads program, including expectations for working with students, required paperwork, lesson planning guidelines, reading strategies, suggested activities, and grade-specific reading skills. Tutors must commit to the program, pass background checks, and complete training on developing relationships with students, facilitating literacy skills, and addressing any suspected child abuse issues appropriately. The document also lists resources for tutors such as a wiki site to stay updated on schedules, plans, and contact information.
2. Promote national literacy Improve reading skills Develop comprehension skills Increase children’s interest in reading Build tutor-student relationship Facilitate career exploration Provide community service experience Empower our community Our Initiative
3. You Must… Love working with children Be fully committed Pass background check Maintain respect and confidentiality Submit necessary paperwork Check email regularly Complete lesson plans and reflections Report all concerns Report absences
4. Paperwork Student Employee Form I-9 and W-4 Criminal Record History Child Abuse Clearance America Reads Tutor Agreement/ Dress Code Site Supervisor Contract
10. Suspected Child Abuse Keep information confidential Decide whether the information should be reported or not See training manual…
11. Day One as a reading partner Introduce yourself Likes and dislikes Be yourself Begin activity that allows you to keep talking Get feedback from your tutee Establish a relationship…show you care Self-evaluation Stay optimistic!
40. Continued… Word Study: High frequency words High transfer words Word families or rhyming words Unknown letters or sounds Inflectional endings Vowels and blends Word Study Activities: Guess covered word Magnetic letters/ dry erase Go fish Word wall Word hunt Mathematical spelling Wordo Make a sentence Dictated sentences Rhyme time Clap and chant
41. Grade Level Specifics K • Most will know alphabet by Jan., numbers to 30 by June. • Can best grasp simple stories with simple logical sequence • Little concept of city, state, or country • Best with simple instructions, one at a time • Difficulty with scissors except with simple shapes • Coloring not always inside the lines • Can not trace patterns • Gluesticks or paste ok--trouble with liquid glue • Will interrupt a lot! • Very fidgety, with little concept of personal space • 10-15 minute attention span • Understand characters, setting, and sequence when obvious, and later, even with just clues • Can start to write simple sentences • Working on adding adjectives to describe nouns • Have better understanding of cities--if told they live in CA they may reply, "No, I live in L.A." • Can handle complex one-step instructions or two simple sets of instructions • Can handle simple comprehension questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how? • Somewhat increasing dexterity, but more notable in second grade • Understand mixing colors will make new colors • Hand-eye better for tracing simple patterns • Gluesticks or paste still preferred • Will still interrupt! • Still fidgety • 20 minute attention span 1
42. Grade Level Specifics • Can discuss characters, setting, plot, and author's purpose • Increased comprehension--can and answer some questions • Can also understand prediction--have them predict what will happen next, and teach cause and effect with this • Can grasp main ideas and details that support that idea • Can trace difficult patterns unless too intricate • Can fold, tear, cut to make a picture, but when asking to fold many times, do so slowly and one step at a time • Have begun to know and explore complex colors • Less fidgety, with better concept of personal space • 20-25 minute attention span • Can write complete thoughts in paragraphs • Understand more complex thoughts, and can determine the underlying theme in a story • Understand the world is made up of continents, countries, states, and so forth • Can really begin breaking apart stories to create ideas of their own. They can generate alternative endings to plots, and understand why • Creativity increasing--have them create 3-D models of the setting, paint the backdrop for a play they read, rewrite the ending of a story, create a story with the same characters but different plot • Can trace, cut and color well • May show a need to have the project be "perfect"--will want to start over a lot • Should behave and be much easier to manage • 20-25 minute attention span 2 3
43. Grade Level Specifics • Begin to analyze things critically • Much increased vocabulary, with ability to determine meaning of word from context • Can evaluate new information and hypotheses by testing them against known information and ideas • Can recognize figurative language (simile, metaphor, etc.) in text • Pretty much capable of creating anything • Creativity may be disappearing so pull it back and give them ways to be creative • Will be accustomed to behaving in a classroom • May express a growing need to be "cool" • Half hour attention span • Can identify the main problem or conflict of the plot and explain how it is resolved • Can follow multiple step instructions • Understand synonyms, antonyms, figurative language • Can understand complex themes • Capable of most projects • Again, may have forgotten how to be creative, and will be more inclined to copy others--encourage creative brainstorming. • Need things that are meaningful to do or will do a poor job • Need to feel it is their idea to do it and not to be forced • Will be accustomed to behaving in a classroom • http://readingtokids.org/ReadingClubs/TipGradeExpectations.php 4 5