The Pieces of Early and Emergent Literacy Tutoring IRC Mentor Collaborative Dr. Christine Ryall, Ph.D.

National Reading Panel 2000 Report: Areas of Reading Instruction 1.Phonemic Awareness…sounds underneath all the words we use in speech and print 2.Phonics…letters make up the code to build written symbols 3.Vocabulary…words as a base, and words that develop 4.Fluency…automatic recognition is important to build 5.Comprehension…not just words, but understanding

Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science 1.Louisa Moats= author of the 1998 report 2. Google it to Read more background 3. Instruction needs a methodical isolation of skills 4. Students benefit from one-on-one reinforcement 5.Make sure they know the BASICS to build on

Reading and the Brain Speaking develops naturally by stages and modeling But, Reading Requires Instruction Direct Explicit

Effective Mentors of Reading… Understand How Children Learn… Create a community of trust and sharing Use a variety of approaches and materials Keep motivation with a smile and encouragement Organize your session around 3 activities Connect instruction with pleasure Make a point to have the student READ aloud …and respond to his/her phrasing and tone

THE READING PROCESS PREREADING…discuss the background and look at the pictures READING…take turns, be partners, discuss problems RESPONDING…talk about the content and ask questions EXPLORING…connections between you and the mentee APPLY suggestions for word work…and remember to be positive

Strategies for Success CONVERSATIONS before, during, and after Use reading tools…like chips and post-it flags Guide reading using a FOCUS on PRINT FEATURES ( font, bullets, print size, color etc) DRAW pictures in the child’s head while you read…learning styles vary with struggling readers Encourage writing as a companion to reading Point out words in CONTEXT and with connections WORDS should be grouped, sorted, discussed

Remember… The more a student reads, the better he gets! But, if he/she struggles, your “mission” is to provide tricks and tips to make it all “make more sense” The recognition of letters, sight words, and conventions of print—like capital letters, punctuation, sentence parts, and illustrations—have to be carefully taught and repeated. When you Read ALOUD, the student can HEAR good modeling. Have them repeat after you…using a finger or pencil to point out the words in CHUNKS!

The MENTOR MODEL METHOD I DO …you begin the focus, provide the example WE DO …get the student to join in and use what energy and direction you can provide for practice YOU DO …ask the student to SHOW you that he/she understands