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Tutor Quick Notes
Reading Skills
One reason that our students may struggle to read (or get bored) is that we give them readings that are too hard (or too easy) for their reading level. With the explosion of Internet resources, it is now much easier to find texts that fit a student's reading level exactly. One resource to check out is: Reading Skills for Today's Adults at resources.marshalladulteducation.org/stories2.htm
This resource was designed to create leveled reading selections that are appropriate for and valued by adult learners. The materials correspond to CASAS 200 - 235. This project helps adults become better readers and more informed consumers, parents, employees, citizens and community members. The focus of these reading selections will be on topics such as: Civics, Employment, Housing, Health, School, Money, and Government.
Making Connections in Your Tutoring
How is your tutoring going? You all have the appropriate adult literacy series to use for reading, writing, English language and Math, but supplemental texts for our students are a valuable tool to keep the tutoring sessions meaningful. The list below is a helpful tool to encourage the use of every day items in your tutoring. Your student(s) have goals and some of these items can support their progress in attaining these goals. When students can connect their learning to their everyday lives and dreams, we all win!
MAKING CONNECTIONS: What possible functions could the following texts serve outside of learning
to read and write? What lessons could be taught from this list?
1. a business card
2. a shopping list
3. a written down phone message
4. graffiti
5. a street name plate
6. a warranty
7. a lease
8. a movie poster
9. a tattoo
10. a speeding ticket
From Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults
The Function of Language
Ever wonder how what you are tutoring is used in our daily lives? We found this in some research and thought it might be interesting to you. To briefly summarize, literacy tutoring is teaching language, English language or Math language, which is a basic form of communication that we all use. When you are tutoring you are enhancing your student’s ability to use language to communicate and interact with those around them. This is indeed improving quality of life.
Functions of Language (Halliday, 1978)
1. Instrumental: Language used to satisfy a material need, enabling one to obtain goods and services that one wants or needs.
· Ordering something via a form
· Requesting service in a memo
2. Regulatory: Language used to control behavior. This is related to the instrumental function, but is distinct. The difference between this and the instrumental is that in the instrumental the focus is on the goods or services required and it does not matter who provides them, whereas the regulatory function is directed towards a particular individual and it is the behavior of that individual that is to be influenced.
· Written rules and regulations (e.g., driver’s manual)
· The ‘don’t walk’ sign or a stop sign
3. Interactional: Language used to make or maintain interpersonal contact
· Personal letters, greeting cards, notes like, “I love you,” etc.
4. Personal: Language used to express awareness of oneself, in contradistinction to one’s environment. Includes expressions of personal feelings, of participation and withdrawal, of interest, pleasure, disgust, etc.
· Memo of personal reaction to a new policy
· Writing in a journal of personal reactions and feelings, etc.
5. Heuristic: Language used to learn and to explore the environment.
· To read for information
· To write down questions to ask of text or of a speaker, etc.
6. Imaginative: Language used to create, including stories and make-believe/pretend.
· Reading/writing poetry, fiction
7. Informative: Language used to communicate information to someone who does not already possess that information.
· Writing information texts
· Writing research reports
· Writing personal letters to inform someone of what has happened to a relative, etc.