TRAINING SESSION

Goals To help you be as productive and efficient as possible during your sessions. Provide details about how to support readers and writers.

Ten Ways to Help 1. Talking with children 2. Reading to children 3. Reading with children (Shared Reading) 4. Helping children read on their own 5. Writing for children 6. Writing with children (Shared Writing) 7. Helping children write on their own 8. Understanding phonics, letters, and words 9. Making books 10. Connecting with children’s homes Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (1997). Help America Read. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Your First Day… Enter as a guest every time Get to know where you work You may have a volunteer coordinator, but if not locate these key spots: office, library, restrooms, cafeteria Know the fire exits and the emergency procedures. Ask about bells, buzzers, and signals. Make sure you are parked in the right place. Try to be independent Set up a regular volunteer schedule. Get the materials from the designated area. Notify your volunteer coordinator or the school if you are unable to attend.

Meeting Your Buddy Share your name and a little about yourself. Have your buddy do the same. Remember student information is confidential. Let your student know that you will be there on a regular basis. Be positive and engaging, let them know you care. Share a great short book.

Meeting Your Buddy Build a great relationship Find out their interests. Make good use of your time Make sure you have your tutoring materials ready. Communicate with the teacher. Keep thinking, “How can we make this work even more powerful for the student.”

Familiar Rereading (All Grades) Practice makes perfect and your students will need lots of practice reading. Students should be bringing books from their classroom that they have read (Storytown materials, leveled readers, copies of articles or poems, etc.). If they struggle jump in and read with them. This will build their confidence.

Interactive Read Aloud (All Grades) Find wonderful books to read- aloud and invite them to participate with you. Reading aloud helps introduce new language and experiences to the student. Stop periodically to ask meaningful questions about the text. See guide sheet for suggestions. You will demonstrate phrased and fluent reading. Show your love for reading and try to spark their interest in books.

Additional Classroom Reading Materials Reading series anthologies or leveled readers Guided reading books Test taking practice materials Comprehension worksheets

Anthologies and Leveled Readers

Guided Reading Books

Test Taking Practice Materials

Comprehension Worksheets

Extension Activities (All Grades) Be creative and find ways to do activities with the books you read together. Revisit the text to highlight high frequency words or key vocabulary. Have the students retell the story just read. Write about the story. Write letters to characters. Create a chart of questions they still have about the book. Make a book that mimics the one he/she read. See blue guide sheet for additional suggestions.

Home Connection Some of the student’s work can be sent home to share with parents. Parents are notified when their child is selected to work with you. They may want to see what you are doing.

Congratulations! You have made an important decision to help children with one of the greatest challenges they will ever face – the challenge of learning to read and write. -Fountas & Pinnell

Questions