This document provides an overview of America Reads tutor training topics, including: - Paperwork requirements and timesheet procedures - The history and mission of America Reads literacy programs - Expectations for tutors including attendance, appropriate relationships with students, and behavior management - Key factors that can impact student literacy like poverty, home environment, and language barriers - The five essentials of reading: word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing - Strategies for tutoring sessions including pre-reading, during reading and post-reading activities - Resources for tutors like Dolch sight words and reading level definitions

1. Facilitated By:
Amy Jackson Sellers
Assistant Director of CCESL
Catherine Sherwood and Alexa Tierney
Civic Co-Leaders of Literacy
Information drawn from:
Intervening for Literacy: The Joy
of Reading to Young Children.
By: Charles Temple
& James MaKinster
America Reads Tutor Resource
Manual
By: Hannah Hood WS ‘12 MAT ‘13
Session ONE

2. Training Topics
 Who’s Here?
 Rules & Paperwork
 Who Are You Working With?
 Why Are You Here?
 History
 Mission
 Expectations of America Reads
 Risk Factors/Literacy Challenges
 What You Can Do to Help

3. Work Eligibility & Timesheets
 All tutors must complete NY wage notice to work
 Lyons site paid differently
 First time student worker?
 I-9 (US eligibility—state ID AND EITHER social security card
or birth certificate OR a valid passport), W-4 must be
completed to work
 HW in Gulick Hall / HR Hours: 8:30-5 M-F
 Timesheets online / Two-week pay periods / Confused about
your status? Ask!
 Remember to round hours to .25, .50, .75, .00

4. Online Timesheets
 Your coordinator will walk through this with you
 How to fill out online timesheets
 Trouble submitting hours for AR? Contact HR
 Please submit hours correctly and promptly
 Coordinators will confirm your attendance…
 They cannot verify or approve your hours
 …it’s up to you!

5. Why Are We Here? – Tradition and the Future

6. Literacy Programs at HWS
•Volunteer Student Literacy Corps began in 1988 – 30 years ago
•Evolved into America Reads in 1996 with federal funding
•HWS devotes >31% of its FWS $ to service-work
•4x the law, which mandates minimum 7%
•One semester, ~3-4 hours/week, one-on-one tutoring
•FWS students paid $11.10/hour / Volunteers rock!!!
•Work with 2nd - 8th graders at 3 sites in 2 districts
•Students are usually below grade level in reading ability

7. AR Mission & Goals
Help motivate children to read
Improve children’s literacy abilities
Provide greater access to books and
opportunities to read with an adult
Support literacy development at home

8. Tutors
Community Partner / School
Children

9. Tutor Expectations
 Positive attitude about reading/working with your
student
 Adapt to your student’s needs and interests – show
initiative and creativity
 Remember your paperwork & HWS Engage curriculum
 Use resources to help you succeed (HWS Engage, your
peers, your coordinator, Amy, Katie)
 Communicate with your coordinator
 Respect:
 Your coordinator, your fellow tutors, the school
and students
Punctuality /Reliability / Attendance

10. Appropriate Tutoring Relationships
 Limit physical contact
 No pictures – privacy is important
 Refrain from exchanging phone #s/emails
 When your tutee needs a bathroom break,
stay outside
 Avoid in depth conversations about mature,
adult, topics (i.e. partying, romance, politics)
 DO talk about hobbies, family and friends, etc.

11. Rules and Policies
 Attendance: No absences
 Except for an emergency
 Give coordinator and Amy 24 hrs advance notice
 Dress appropriately / follow dress code
 Cell phone usage ≠ Active Reading
 Acceptable Post-reading activities:
 Crosswords, word searches
 Scrabble or literacy-related games
 Not: Hangman, coloring, etc.

12. HWS Tutor Learning Outcomes
 Tutors become more connected to local community
where they tutor
 Tutors can connect to what they are learning about in
their classes
 Tutors are more aware of challenges and opportunities
facing local youth
 Tutors’ experience in AR gives them a clearer sense of
possible career options

13. Stress Points for Kids and Teachers
 State testing and ‘Common Core’ standards
 Budgets
 Bullying
 Limited unstructured/play time
 the relationship is as important as the tutoring

14. Alex
Evan
Emily

15. Effects of Low Literacy
 “Matthew Effect”: The rich get richer; the poor get poorer.
 If a child’s early literacy concepts are in short supply, she will struggle to
acquire each new ability that literacy demands (Temple, MaKinster, 2005)
 88% of low achieving readers in 1st grade still low in 4th
 The higher the grade, the harder it is to catch up
 More likely to drop out/struggle to find meaningful work
 Large-scale studies in the U.S. have shown that, as a whole, adults’
earning levels rise and fall in lock-step with their reading levels (Temple,
MaKinster, 2005)
 Higher risk of incarceration
 70% of US prisoners rank in bottom levels of reading ability
 60% considered ‘functionally illiterate’

16. Which risk factors can
cause low literacy?

17. RISK FACTORS that may cause low literacy
Over the course of the semester, we will unpack these
issues during our Tutor Training Presentations.
 Poverty: Fewer words. Fewer books.
 Attending a low resourced school
 Speaking a first language other than
English
 Lack of parent involvement/Poor
home literacy environment
 ACEs/Trauma
24% of Geneva
3rd graders are
proficient in
English
Language Arts
(ELA), according
to the NY State
Tests.

18. Professional
Families
Working-Class
Families
Families on Welfare
Words spoken to the child
per hour
3000 1,400 750
Total words addressed to
a child in the first 4 years
50 Million 30 Million 15 Million
Verbal encouragements
from parents
750,000 300,000 100,000
Verbal prohibitions from
parents
130,000 170,000 280,000
• 17% of Geneva parents of incoming kindergartners in 2019 did not have a high
school diploma.
• 35% of Geneva parents of incoming kindergarteners in 2010 had only a GED or
high school diploma
• ~60% of children eligible for free or reduced lunch (~$33,000/yr. for a family of
four)
• The graduation rate in Geneva was 70.7% in 2010, and 82.7% in 2019

19. HWS Path Tutor Training
 Over the semester, there will be an online training
component to enhance your understanding of Tutor
Presentations.
 These include pre-lessons and post-lessons
 Your coordinator will walk you through this process in
your individual meetings.

20. Tutor Trainings: Part of the Job
Over the course of the semester, there will be four official
America Reads Tutor Training sessions. These are important to
your growth as a tutor, which will affect your impact as a tutor.
1. Presentation on Literacy Activities and Concepts
Monday, September 23, 8 a.m.
2. Presentation on Behavior Management
Monday, October 7, 8 a.m.
3. Presentation on Learning Disabilities and Language Barriers
Monday, October 28, 8 a.m.
4. Presentation on Education and Social Justice
Monday, November 11, 8 a.m.

21. Geneva’s Advantages
 Diversity – almost 32% of Geneva’s population is of a
diverse background; 48% of GCSD students are of a
diverse background
 Higher Education Partnerships – FLCC, HWS, Cornell
Agritech
 Tens of millions of $ of economic impact
 Tens of thousands of hours of service
 Research and community building efforts
 Innovation – Neighborhood Initiatives,
Community Gardens, Lakefront revitalization
 Tourist destination helps local economy

22. You Can Make A Difference
• Parents from all income brackets and education levels are
getting the message that reading to their children is beneficial
• Scores improving across all education/income backgrounds
 between 1 and 4 reading levels per child per semester
• College tutors have amazing power: if your message is
“Reading is cool and fun,” they believe you.
• Encourage them to achieve at reading
• Have literacy materials available
 Activities specific to the child’s interests, encourage them to bring in
books, check Geneva Public Library, look up ideas on Engage, etc.)
• Read with and to your student.

23. Session Two Information

24. Facilitated By:
Amy Jackson Sellers
Assistant Director of CCESL
Catherine Sherwood and Alexa Tierney
Civic Co-Leaders of Literacy
Information drawn from:
Intervening for Literacy: The Joy
of Reading to Young Children.
By: Charles Temple
& James MaKinster
America Reads Tutor Resource
Manual
By: Hannah Hood WS ‘12 MAT ‘13
Session TWO

25. Favorite book?
Favorite food?
Favorite show?

26. Training Topics
 AR Lesson Plans
 Reading Essentials, Levels, & Strategies
 Working with (Site) Words
 Behavior Management 101
 Online Resources
 Further Trainings
 Semester Schedule

27. Sample AR Lesson Plan: 50 minutes
1. Instructional Level Reading: (22 minutes)
2. Word Study Activity: (8 minutes)
3. Writing: (5 minutes)
4. Independent Level Reading: (8 minutes)
5. Preview Instructional Level Reading: (7 minutes)

28. Reading Levels Defined
 AR uses alphabetically leveled books (A-Z)
 Level you write on top of lesson plan is instructional, bottom is
independent
 Based on teacher recommendation/communication with you
and your coordinator
 Use the “Five Finger Rule”
Word Recognition
(per page)
Reading
Comprehension
Who’s Reading?
Independent 95% At least 90% Student
Instructional More than 90% At least 70 – 89% Tutor & Student
together
Frustration Less than 90% Less than 70% Tutor (models
fluent reading)

29. Instructional Level Reading: The first book you read with your student will be at his or her
instructional level and should be previewed during the previous session. As your student is
reading, assist with unknown words and ask questions about the material to promote
comprehension. Use the reading strategies listed on p. 14-15 to assist you. Write down words
that your student in struggling with. During this time use pre- and post- reading activities to
enhance the understanding of the story.
(22 minutes)

30. Word Study Activity: While working with your student at the instructional level, you should
compile a list of words that were challenging. Reflecting on these words, develop a list of
similar words or patterns of words to practice with your student. Use the strategies listed
under literacy activities for working with words on p. 24. (8 minutes)
How did it go?

31. Writing: Complete a short writing activity related to the book you read with your
student. There are multiple activities that may be used in the Instructional Level
Reading strategies found on p. 14-15. You may also have a written conversation with
the student. Write down a question, have your student respond through writing.
(5 minutes)
How did it go?

32. Independent Level Reading: Read a book at your student’s independent level. This
should be an easy read to promote fluency and build the student’s confidence in his or her
abilities. The independent reading book should be new each session.
(8 minutes)
How did it go?
Independent Level: This should be a new book at the student’s independent
independent level. It should be an easy read to build fluency and develop
develop confidence. Continue to ask questions and assist the student as needed.
needed.
Book:
_________________________________________________
Level: ________
Was your student reading fluently?
Estimated words correct:
___________________________________

33. Preview Instructional Level Reading: Preview a new instructional level book that will
be read during the next session. Read the book to your student if there is time in order
to demonstrate fluent reading and engage the student with the material.
(7 minutes)
Is your student flying through the books and not
making any mistakes? Is he or she struggling with
a few words here and there, or struggling with the
entire book?

36. You needed this K-12 and you
will need it NOW!
Always remember to bring a
pencil with you when you tutor!

38. The Five
Essentials in
Reading are
on pages 8-9
in AR Tutoring
Binder

39. The Five Essentials of Reading
Comprehension
Fluency
Vocabulary
Word Recognition
Writing

40. #1: Word Recognition
 Occurs in three ways
1. Storing the word’s meaning/recognizing on
sight
2. Using phonics when reading new words
(decoding)
3. Using context clues to read new words

41. #2: Vocabulary #3 Fluency
 Knowledge or
understanding of specific
words
 Each word is a chunk of
meaning or label for a
concept
 Students will have
different exposure and
therefore different range
of vocabulary
 The ability to read smoothly
and automatically
 Repetition
 Reading Rate
 Accuracy
 Intonation
 Phrasing
 Bedrock that
comprehension grows from

42. #4 Comprehension #5 Writing
 The act of understanding
what is being read
 Background knowledge
 Vocabulary
 Summarizing
 Making inferences
 Relating ideas to previous
information
 Complements reading
 Helps students develop an
understanding for words
 Reinforces phonics and
word structure
 Develops the other four
essentials
 Allows students to
respond to literature,
think about being their
own authors

43. Reading Strategies
(Feel free to use these during any phase of the lesson plan)
 Pre Reading:
 Preview
 Pre-teach Vocab
 KWL Chart
 Prediction
 During Reading
 Scaffolding
 Directed Reading Thinking
 Vocab Strategies
 Praise
 Think Aloud
 Visualizing
 Question Strategy
 Comprehension/Concrete –
 Who? What? Where? When?
 Analysis/Inference – Why? How?
 Apply to Real Life – direct, indirect

44. Reading Strategies – Post-Reading
 Retelling/Summarizing
 Discussion (specifics, surprises?)
 Story Map
 Semantic Map
 Character Development
 Letter to the Author
 Comic Strip
 Epilogue/New Ending?

45. Dolch Site Words & Sound Boards
 Dolch Sight Words are the foundation of teaching,
reading, and writing English -- over half the words you
read in a typical English document appear on this list.
 The list contains 220 commonly used words that should
be recognized by "sight" for fast or "fluent" reading.
 Many of the 220 Dolch words do not follow the basic
phonics principles, so they cannot be "sounded out."
 Use your Sound Boards - build the words with the tiles

46. When Your Student Doesn’t Know A Word…
 Break word into parts
 Sound out each part or phoneme.
 Read to the end of the sentence, go back, ask
 Use words that the student does know
 Sound out parts of the word
 Use a Sound Board / Dolch Site Word list
 Last Resort: tell the student the word

47. Keeping Your Student Engaged
 What are your student’s interests?
 Read with an animated voice
 Make connections to real life
 Bring relevant activities
 High Expectations
 Reward Good Work / Praise
 Provide Choice / Be Flexible

48. Behavior Management
 Start with positive behavior reinforcement
 Praise, stickers, etc.
 First Session – coordinator will outline protocol
 If behavior becomes distracting or inappropriate
 use “three strikes” method
 “David, this is one” – then move on, don’t dwell on it
 If behavior persists, give second warning – “this is two”
 If still unsuccessful with your lesson, say “David, this is
three – we are going to talk to the coordinator”
 Try to resolve issues w/ coordinator, but find coordinating
teacher or principal if needed

49. The Trail of
Good Days
Only give a sticker
if your student
had a good day
and did not need
any warnings

50. My favorite book this week was ____________________________ and my
favorite part was (write a few sentences or draw a picture)...
Family
Update
America
Reads
Books We Read…
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Words I need help with…
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________

51. Online Resources
 Engage: https://hws.campuslabs.com/engage/
Organizations  America Reads (“Join Organization”)
 Scroll down, see “Documents” for specifics like…
 Activities & Games
 Articles on Literacy
 Behavior Management
 Resources
 Websites
 Training Archives
 Also where you’d find extra activities to print out
ahead of time if your lesson plan finishes early.

52. What’s Next?
Mandatory Site Meetings

53. America Reads Training/Semester Schedule
Fall 2019

54. Good Luck Next Week!
 You have the opportunity to make a difference.
 Try to remember when you thought reading
was fun…or not fun (and make it better for
your child).
 Use the Tutor Manual and “Big Five”
 You are now a role model. Be present.
 Seek out your coordinators, Lex, Catherine, or
Amy as resources – we are here to help you.

55. One Last Thing!
Add phone numbers now:
Alexa Tierney : 781-686-8455
Catherine Sherwood: 585-857-1369
Amy Jackson Sellers: 315-521-0841
And make SURE you have your
coordinator’s number!
Thank you and have fun!