1. Literacy PALS Tutor Training
Partners Achieving Literacy Success
A ReadWriteServe Program of the
Center for Adolescent Literacies at UNC Charlotte

2. What is Literacy PALS?
Literacy PALS (Partners Achieving Literacy Success) is a volunteer tutoring program that pairs students and staff at UNC Charlotte and volunteers from the community including faith-based organizations, businesses and individuals to work with students in grades K-12. Literacy PALS can have a big impact on students in our community.

3. Literacy PALS Provide Homework Help Reading Support Mentoring
A note about our terminology:
Tutors-----UNC Charlotte student /staff volunteers
Learners----the grades K-12 students receiving tutoring

4. The Literacy PALS Commitment
Set a time commitment that is reasonable and stick with it. We ask that you commit to meeting with a learner once a week if possible. Whatever your schedule, please keep your commitment to our student partners.
Be ethical and responsible in all that you do in your work with student partners. Literacy PALS are mentors and role models.

5. Tutoring Basics Getting to Know the Learner Setting Expectations
Evaluating the Learner
Our Approach (Planning)

6. Getting to Know the Learner
At the first meeting or two, the tutor and learner need to get to know one another. This initial session is an important step towards building a positive rapport that will underlie the tutoring and learning experience. Use this first meeting to:
Establish rapport
Setting expectations
Get to know your learner

7. Ice Breakers
Ice Breakers are games or activities we use to get to know a learner or “break the ice.” Here are a few of these activities:
Acrostic Name Poem
The Memory Game
Two facts and a lie
These are in your handbook.

8. Acrostic Name Poem NAME About me… C Curious and loves to learn H
Happy and has lots of friends R
Really loves science I
Interested in music and wants to play guitar S
Sports fanatic

9. Try It Out
Take a couple of minutes and try your hand at using an ice breaker to get to know someone sitting near you.

10. Setting Expectations
It’s important to establish expectations between the tutor and learner. You can do this through discussion or if you prefer, you can use the Literacy PALS Tutor-Learner Agreement that is in the back of your Literacy PALS Handbook.
The main points are that both Tutor and Learner agree to:
Come prepared to all tutoring sessions
Arrive on time
Listen and talk with each other
Be respectful of each other

11. Formal vs. Informal Assessment
Observations of the learner
Interviews or conversation with the learner (what the learner says he or she wants and needs)
Listening to a learner read or work a problem
Learner think-aloud with class work, homework, a book
Input from teachers and parents
Student retellings of a text
Standardized tests (End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests)
Ability tests (IQ)
Teacher created tests and quizzes

12. See page 10-13 in the Lit PALS Tutor Handbook
Informal Assessment
Assessment gives us information about what learners strengths and areas of need—what they can do and what they need help with. Here are some informal methods of assessment:
Interview
Learner Surveys
5-finger assessment
Read Alouds
Retellings
See page in the Lit PALS Tutor Handbook
These are in your handbook.

13. Levels of Reading
Independent Reading Level. Easy reading. In oral reading, a child would have four to five word  calling errors in 100 words of text, with solid comprehension about the story. A student could read it alone with ease.
Instructional Reading Level. The word error range allowed while reading orally is from 2 to 5 word calling errors per 100 words of text (90% accuracy or better), with reasonable comprehension on simple recall questions about the story. Reading at this level requires the assistance of a teacher or tutor.
Frustration Reading Level. This is too hard for the reader. Word errors are 9 or more per 100 words of text. Comprehension is not strong.

14. The Learner Survey
Use the first meeting to get to know the learner informally. By the second meeting, you can have the learner fill out a Learner Survey. The Learner Survey can be used to guide your tutoring by:
Identify learner strengths and weaknesses
Provide a starting place in which to tutor
Suggestion: Complete the Learner Survey during the first or second meeting with your learner.

15. 5 Finger Text Assessment
Allow the student to read-aloud about 100 words from a book or text. While the student is reading, count the number of errors made. When a child corrects his own errors, it doesn’t count as an error.
Errors include:
Misread – word said incorrectly
Insertion – added a word different from text
Omission – skipped over or left out a word
Keep track of these errors using the fingers on your hand.
If you count more than nine or ten errors, then the book being read is at the child’s frustration level.
The tutor should then select an easier book to ensure greater reading success.

16. Tutoring Scenario #1
You’ve just begun tutoring a new learner, Sam, a first-grader. You observe the following:
Sam is very shy and doesn’t seem very comfortable reading out loud.
Sam struggles reading the book he has brought to the tutoring session. He tells you this is a book that he is reading for school.
What can you do?

17. Our Approach: Guided Learning
Our basic approach is to meet a learner at his or her point of need. You might help the learner with homework or in reading and writing. Most tutoring can be broken into this simple framework:
Before Reading & Learning
During Reading & Learning
After Reading & Learning
See page in the Lit PALS Tutor Handbook

18. Guided Reading & Learnig
Guided Reading & Learning is a type of instruction in which a tutor guides at student (learner) through the process of reading. Tutors are mentors to students. They help students (learners) move from reading with help to reading independently.

19. Instructional Sequence Rationale
Rationale
Before Reading & Learning
Pre-reading & Learning
To establish purpose, activate background knowledge, motivate & engage learner.
Pre-reading activities
Previewing a book: Book Walk or Picture Talk
KWL
Talk about the subject or text
During Reading & Learning
Reader-Text
Interactions
Scaffold reading and learning. Make learning active.
During-reading activities
Shared reading: Choral or Part Reading
Reread for fluency
Say Something
Think Pair Share
Double Entry Journal
After Reading & Learning
Post reading & Learning
To extend and elaborate ideas from the text
Post-reading activities
Retellings and discussion
Journaling
Concept Maps
Mini-lessons (teaching concepts & strategies)

20. Example 1: Sam in 7th Grade
Instructional Sequence
Activities
Comments/Notes
Before Reading & Learning
To establish purpose, activate background knowledge, motivate & engage learner.
 Pre-view Social Studies homework (worksheet) and pre-read textbook with Sam. Point out headings, subheads, and key words.
During Reading & Learning
Guided reading and learning. Make learning active.
   
 Use Say Something strategy while reading text to help Sam verbalize what he is reading. Post ideas on sticky notes to help answer questions.
After Reading & Learning
To extend and elaborate ideas from the text
Guide Sam in answering questions on worksheet. Check to see if he is using headings/subheads and notes to help answer questions.

21. Example 2: Rachel in 3rd Grade
Instructional Sequence
Activities
Comments/Notes
Before Reading & Learning
To establish purpose, activate background knowledge, motivate & engage learner.
 Introduce new books and Do a picture walk of the book that Rachel chooses to read. Have her make predictions. Point out a few words. New books:
Three Questions, Lion and the Mouse, Strega Nona
During Reading & Learning
Guided reading and learning. Make learning active.
   
Guide reading. Ask recall questions and check for comprehension (“Does that make sense?”). Reread sections as needed to build fluency. Find 4 to 5 words to teach
After Reading & Learning
To extend and elaborate ideas from the text
Ask: “Tell me about what you just read?”
Teach the new words and review sight words.

22. Lesson Activities & Mini-lessons
Here are some useful lesson activities and mini-lesson ideas:
Book Walk or Picture Talks
Guided Reading & Learning
Dictating Stories or LEA
Word Families & Word Sorts
Sight Word practice
Teaching Strategies

23. Book Walks & Picture Talks
Tutors guide students through a book by looking at the cover, title page, and pictures in the book. Point out a few key words and ask the learner questions like, “What do you think is going on in the book?” and “What do you think will happen?” During the guided reading and learning session (the heart of the tutoring process), the tutor can check with the learner to confirm predictions.

24. Try It Out
If time allows, take a couple of minutes and try your hand at leading book walk or picture talk with someone near you.

25. Tutoring Elements Elements of Tutoring Picking Texts to Read
Comprehension
Word Work: Vocabulary & Site Words
Fluency
Decoding

26. Picking Texts to Read
You can use any type of text to tutor from; however, if you get a chance to read for enjoyment, pick a good book (one that your student picks) that is not too difficult and enjoy reading for pleasure. Together with the student, you can choose reading material that interests the student and is at an appropriate reading level. One method for choosing a book is the five finger method.
Remember
Whenever possible, pick books that are interesting to the learner
For tutoring, pick books are that at their Instructional Level (not too easy, not too hard)
For independent (personal) reading, pick books at the Independent Level.

27. What to focus on in tutoring
There are four key areas that we most often focus on in literacy tutoring.
Comprehension
Word Work: Vocabulary & Site Words
Fluency
Decoding

28. See page 23-27 in the Lit PALS Tutor Handbook
Comprehension
Comprehension is the “so what” of reading. Readers who comprehend understand and can answer questions about what they’ve read. Here are some strategies that help with comprehension:
Say Something
KWL
3-2-1
Talking to the Text
See page in the Lit PALS Tutor Handbook

29. Take Two
Take two minutes and review pages 23 through 27 in your Literacy PALS Tutor Handbook.
Think about the comprehension strategies and how you might use them.

30. Sight Words
Sight words are common words that a reader should recognize on "sight." These important words are also referred to as "high-frequency words.”
Sight words are a group of common words with a high- frequency of use that readers must know on sight, instantly, and automatically in order to develop into an efficient and smooth reader. Some examples of these important words are a, is, the, of, and, that, in, you, I, and to.
We include a copy of the list of Dolch Sight Words in the back of this handbook on page 55.

31. Vocabulary
Vocabulary strategies help readers with words they don’t know and need to learn. We don’t expect them to have to memorize these words like we hope readers will do with sight words. Readers need strategies to include but go beyond teaching definitions and include pictures and connections to the real world.
Do’s
Don’ts
Teach words that matter
Teach words just because a learner doesn’t know it
Teach a few words at a time
Teach 10, 15, 20 words (lists) at a time
Teach words that the student will see and use again
Teach words that you are unsure of

32. Sight Words & Vocabulary
Repetition is the key to teaching sight words. Try this:
Play Sight Word bingo
Make sight word flash cards and review them each
Here are some strategies that help teach vocabulary. Note that they move beyond simply teaching definitions.
Vocabulary Cards
Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart
How Well Do I Know These Words
Teach common pre-fixes and root words

33. Take Two
Take two minutes and review pages 28 through 32 in your Literacy PALS Tutor Handbook.
Think about the vocabulary strategies and how you might use them.
Try your hand at creating a vocabulary card for a content area term like solar or cylinder.

34. Fluency Strategies Here are some strategies to help with fluency:
Rereading. This is one of the best ways to help improve fluency.
Echo Reading. Echo reading is a rereading strategy designed to help students develop expressive, fluent reading. In echo reading, the tutor reads a short segment of text (sentence or phrase), and the student echoes back the same sentence or phrase while following along in the text.
Paying Attention to Punctuation. Some students read through periods. Point out end punctuation, model reading it, and have the learner reread.

35. Decoding English has many irregular words. Consider these two:
Ate and Eight
However there are many word patterns you can teach. Here are a few:
Spelling Rules. Late: the /e/ makes the /a/ say it’s name
Word Families. –ight words, -ate words (late, fate, crate), -ad words (mad, bad, had)
Note: Don’t spend too much time on decoding. Be sure to help with comprehension, vocabulary and fluency.

36. Sticky-note Word Family Books

37. Tutoring Scenario #2
You’ve just begun tutoring a new learner, Jose, a fifth-grader. You observe the following:
Jose reads the words on the page well but as he says, “I just don’t get it.” You ask Jose to read aloud and his reading sounds fine but when you ask him to do a retelling he has little to say.
He also says that some of the words in his science book are difficult.
What can you do?

38. Homework Help
Ask if they understand the directions. If they say yes, move on.
If they say no, ask them to read the directions to you and clarify any confusing points.
Provide guidance, not answers
To reach the correct answer, guide the student with questions and insights.
Handout out copies of textbook reading. Model help with vocabulary (vocab cards) and comprehension (KWHLS chart). How can we design a lesson plan for this material quickly that addresses Before, During and After reading and learning? Brainstorm and create this plan as a whole group. Point tutors to resources in the Literacy PALS handbook.
Suggestion: Think of homework or assignments as the tutoring content. Use a Before-, During- and After- approach to helping with homework.

39. Reading with Learners
There are many ways to organize reading—read aloud, partner reading, silent reading. Here are some different ways to organize reading when you work with a student:
Read Aloud (oral reading). Have the student read aloud to you.
Buddy Reading. You and the student take turns reading sections of a text and talking about it. Great questions include: “What do you think will happen next?” or “Does that make sense?”
Choral Reading. Another good strategy for struggling readers is to read a text aloud together in unison.
Silent Reading. Yes, this works in tutoring as well—especially for older students. You and the student read a text to an agreed upon stopping point and then discuss the passage.
Create a lesson plan with a magazine article as a text to read with a student (need examples of articles or copies). Since we created the first plan as a group, have individuals or teams create this plan.
Not all reading has to be out loud. Read aloud is useful but can be uncomfortable for some learners.

40. Create a Lesson Plan to address these issues.
Take Five
If time and resources allow, pick a book or text and review it. Think about how you would use this text in tutoring a student. Consider the following:
How would you introduce the text?
What vocabulary words are you likely to teach?
What comprehension strategy or strategies might you use?
Create a Lesson Plan to address these issues.

41. Registering as a Volunteer
This is a must before you begin tutoring in CMS schools
Takes 5 minutes
Let’s do it today!
Other school districts have requirements for volunteers so please check before you
Print off copies of the CMS volunteer registration handout for those who can’t register with us.

42. Resources for Tutors
The Center for Adolescent Literacies offers the following resources:
The Literacy Wiki
The ReadWriteServe Tutor Blog
For more information about the Center for Adolescent Literacies go to our website at:
literacy.uncc.edu

43. Need help? Have questions?
Literacy PALS is a ReadWriteServe Program of the Center for Adolescent Literacies at UNC Charlotte. If you have questions or need our help, call or us:
Dr. Bruce Taylor Jean Vintinner