Your Role as a Tutor

1. Your Role as a Tutor "As a volunteer instructor, I will • continually strive to identify and meet the needs of the learner(s) I tutor by • learning about and applying new techniques during my instruction. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the tutoring sessions, I will • document the instructional strategies I apply and how the learner is impacted. Whenever possible, I will • share my tutoring experiences with my peers so we can all learn and grow together."

2. April 24, 2013 Writing 1:00 – 2:30 pm Please remember to enter your full name so I can accurately track participants. Thank you. Monthly Tutor Webinar Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth

3. Agenda • Use of webinar platform • Schedule of monthly tutor webinars • Writing Instruction for Adults • Questions, Comments, Suggestions

4. Use of Webinar Platform • Blackboard Collaborate http://www.brainshark.com/blackboardinc/vu?pi=zGLzYw5XBz35Sgz0 • Audio • Set up • Raise hand… • To note approval, etc… • To talk… • To type… • Yes/no

5. Let’s Do a Trial Using the Chat window • Please type your name and the literacy program with which you tutor or work.

6. Monthly Tutor Webinar Schedule • http://tlcliteracy.org/ • Tutor tab • Fourth Wednesday of the month, 1:00 – 2:30 pm • Webinars will be recorded and archived

7. Why a light bulb? Help ≠ Doing Help = Empowering Help = Providing Tools & Support

8. Why a light bulb? Help ≠ Doing Help = Empowering Help = Providing Tools & Support Change • Daily • life Specific and immediate needs and goals

9. What are YOUR Questions and Concerns? How do I help the learner improve his/her writing skills?

10. K W L • K - What do you knowabout teaching writing skills to adults?

11. K W L • K - What do you know about teaching writing skills to adults? • W - What do you want to know about teaching writing skills to adults?

12. Tutoring Adults Writing

13. Helping People Learn to Write The Writing Process Generating Ideas Draft Revise Edit Real Life Materials Writing Anxiety Connecting Reading and Writing within Lessons Conclusions/Questions/Evaluations

14. Helping People Learn to Write • Provide models, allow learners to see others write.

15. Helping People Learn to Write • Provide models, allow learners to see others write. • Have a purpose for writing.

16. Helping People Learn to Write • Provide models, allow learners to see others write. • Have a purpose for writing. • Reinforce the learner’s confidence in his or her ability to learn.

17. Helping People Learn to Write • Use many examples of writing; show different kinds of writing used for different purposes.

18. Helping People Learn to Write • Provide support and encouragement as well as reinforcement from others.

19. Helping People Learn to Write • Provide support and encouragement as well as reinforcement from others. • Teach writing skills.

20. Helping People Learn to Write • Those with good verbal communication skills may be frustrated with their writing abilities because they are not able to write at the same level at which they can talk.

21. Helping People Learn to Write • Those with good verbal communication skills may be frustrated with their writing abilities because they are not able to write at the same level at which they can talk. • Writing is an expressive language which requires recall, unlike reading which is a receptive language, requiring recognition.

22. Helping People Learn to Write • Those with good verbal communication skills may be frustrated with their writing abilities because they are not able to write at the same level at which they can talk. • Writing is an expressive language which requires recall, unlike reading which is a receptive language, requiring recognition. • Writing is a more difficult task than reading so weak readers usually avoid writing.

23. Helping People Learn to Write • Those with good verbal communication skills may be frustrated with their writing abilities because they are not able to write at the same level at which they can talk. • Writing is an expressive language which requires recall, unlike reading which is a receptive language, requiring recognition. • Writing is a more difficult task than reading so weak readers usually avoid writing. • Students with weak spelling skills may have difficulty choosing a topic to write about because they look for something with words that they can spell.

25. Some Basic Guidelines to Writing • Brainstorming (after a purpose for writing has been determined) • Generate Ideas • Questions to Guide Writing • Brainstorming • Concept Mapping • Graphic Organizers

26. Generate IdeasQuestions to Guide Writing

27. Some Basic Guidelines to Writing 2) Organization: • Write main idea on an index card with details on smaller cards underneath the main idea. • If a list was made, cross out any ideas that won’t be used. • Group according to similar ideas. • Group from general to specific. • Number the ideas in the order they will be written.

28. Some Basic Guidelines to Writing 3) Writing a first draft: • Have student write about one point at a time, one paragraph at a time. Then put paragraphs together. • Do the introduction and conclusion last.

29. Some Basic Guidelines to Writing 3) Writing a first draft: • Focus on the message, not the technicalities. • Remember the goal – to communicate a message. • Spending too much time on the rules will take away from the message. • Start small and build. • Join together the information gathered in the previous step(s). • One point, one paragraph. • This may be an extremely difficult step for the learner; allow for ample time to complete this process.

30. First DraftComposing Thoughts on the Writing Process • Only way to improve writing is to write. • Practicing writing is like practice for a sport – not all exercises need to be “graded”, but they do need to be regular and consistent. • Have students go through their work and tell you what they did that worked. • Students need to “see” the connection between what they are writing and other subjects so topics need to be ones in which they have previous knowledge.

31. Some Basic Guidelines to Writing 4) Revisions: • For sequencing problems – cut your student’s paper into sections and have them put the pieces in a more logical order. • Focus only on one type of error at a time. • For spelling errors – focus on no more than five misspelled words at a time.

32. Revising • Review what you have written. • Keep your reader in mind. Will that person be able to follow your reasoning? • Reread your essay. Use the following chart to evaluate your writing. (The rubric can be revised to meet the abilities of your student and the student can help create the rubric.)

33. RevisingAdapted from Writing Well, by Libby Wilson, New Reader’s Press, 2006

34. Some Basic Guidelines to Writing • Editing: Reinforce that writing does not have to be perfect and that editing is part of the process for EVERYONE! • Take the time to explain the process of editing and that it is possible for the writer to make changes to their work – it won’t be perfect from the start. • Focus first on the generation and drafting of ideas, then move on to clarity, and end with accuracy. Too many corrections early on may discourage the writer, so first concentrate on getting an idea across.

35. Some Basic Guidelines to Writing • Editing: • Allow the writer to do as much of the editing as possible. • By allowing your student to self-correct, you will be able to monitor what amount of editing they are ready for. Take each step at a time and don’t rush it. As with all tutoring, individualize your style for your learner and let them take the lead.

36. Editing ChecklistAdapted from Writing Well, by Libby Wilson, New Reader’s Press, 2006 • Mechanics • I capitalized the first word in every sentence. • I capitalized all proper nouns. • Each sentence I wrote ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. • I used punctuation correctly. • I spelled all words correctly. • I indented the beginning of each new paragraph.

37. Editing Checklist Adapted from Writing Well, by Libby Wilson, New Reader’s Press, 2006 • Grammar • Each sentence is a complete thought with a subject and verb. • There are no run-on sentences. • Subjects and verbs agree in number. • When pronouns are used, they clearly refer to someone or thing. • Verb tenses are used consistently unless a change is required.

38. Editing Checklist Adapted from Writing Well, by Libby Wilson, New Reader’s Press, 2006 • Style • Sentence length is varied. • Clear, interesting, colorful, precise words are used. • Unnecessary words were cut out.

39. Putting it all Together

40. “POWER” Planning Your Essay

41. Real Life Applications for Writing Reasons for Which Adult Learners May Be Motivated to Write • Writing checks • Paying bills $ Making a grocery list $ Writing a phone message $ Leaving a note to someone $ Filling out an application $ Completing a form $ Requesting information $ Writing a letter $ Sharing thoughts

42. Techniques for Applying Writing • Language experience stories • Write an advertisement • Do an advice column • Create a bedtime story • Give directions • Write down a dream • Predict a weather forecast • Free writing • Paraphrasing • Write a journal

43. Writing Anxiety

44. Writing Anxiety • Anxiety may be caused by lack of understanding of the assignment. • Make the assignment clear and concise. • Emphasize that the writing will not be perfect. The main goal of writing is to correctly communicate an idea and when that is done, the goal has been reached.

45. Writing Anxiety • Encourage your writer to focus on his/her message. • Explain that writing is a time consuming challenge for everyone. • DO NOT use a red pen or ALL CAPITAL LETTERS to make corrections. • Encourage the learner to self-correct. • Teach the learner to use a dictionary and spell check.

46. Writing Anxiety Find praise in even the most basic attempts at writing. Examples: • he/she can write some letters • he/she uses capital and lower case letters • he/she uses letters that are uniform in shape and height • he/she writes from left to right • he/she is willing to try writing

47. Writing Anxiety

48. Using the Language Experience Approach

49. Creating a Language Experience Passage • Learner can dictate a story or experience and you write it in his/her exact words. • Read the story back to the learner to see if there are any corrections or changes. • Ask the learner to watch as you read the story, tracking the words with your finger. • Ask the learner to read aloud with you, tracking the words with your finger. • As learner becomes familiar with the process, he/she becomes familiar with words and recognize them; lower your voice when reaching those words to see if he/she is reading independently. • Save the story to review at the next session.

50. More to Consider… • As you think about these changes, consider how they • impact your instruction. • Visit tlcliteracy.org for more resources