Newport Beach Library ▬ Tutor’s Corner: A Focus On Poetry

Tutor’s Corner: A Focus On Poetry

Newport/Mesa 
ProLiteracy

Literally Speaking: March 2021

With the renewed interest in poetry thanks to Amanda Gorman, now is a great time to examine how you can use poetry in your literacy lessons. Some students – and teachers - tend to shy away from poetry, but poetry is a great medium to teach adult learners at varying reading levels.

Without getting lost in a poet’s intended purpose for writing the poem, Nancy Padak’s “Poetry in the Adult Literacy Classroom” outlines how you can use poetry to aid in reading and writing instruction.

Focus on these four areas:

➧ Comprehension

➧ Fluency

➧ Phonics

➧ Writing

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy

VIRTUAL Adult Literacy Learner Orientation 

March 24 @ 10 am

VIRTUAL Adult Literacy Tutor Training 

April 7 and 14

10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Prospective tutors must attend both sessions to complete training. 

Reservations for this training are required.

Online Orientation must be completed before attending Training. 

       For more information, please contact literacy@newportbeachca.gov

Telephone: 949 . 717 . 3800 

Huntington Beach Library ▬ Tutor Tip: YouTube Travel Videos

Tutor Tip: YouTube Travel Videos

Literacy Volunteers HBPL

Literacy Volunteers HBPL: 11.20.2020

Using short YouTube travel videos is a great way to have a conversation and practice writing.

Start the lesson by asking your learner to watch a video prior to your meeting time, or watch it together on Zoom. Afterwards, talk about what you each saw in the video.

Then, practice writing!

Both you and your learner, independently, hand-write what you took away from the video, what was new, what you enjoyed, where you’d like to travel... Focus on putting ideas down on paper, not so much about spelling or grammar.

Last, read your sentences to each other person.

As always, have FUN!
Hawaii
Santa Claus, Indiana
York, England
Portsmouth, NH

WATCH

Literacy Volunteers HBPL is recruiting for adult volunteer tutors to assist other adults increase their English literacy skills.

Do you have a couple of hours a week to volunteer? Want to help someone read and write better than they do now? Join our volunteer team and help an adult gain skills to get a better job, help their children, read medical information and more.

All training will conducted online via Zoom, and all tutoring will be done online at this time. Workshops for both Central & Oak View programs start soon, so don’t delay!

Even though current conditions prevent you from meeting your adult learner face-to-face, you CAN help someone reach their goals. Begin your literacy volunteering by completing the online Tutor Orientation tutorial today.

We have two programs, the Adult Literacy Program at Central Library (714) 375-5102 and the Oak View Literacy Program at the Oak View Branch Library (714) 375-5104.

We always need tutors!

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

Huntington Beach Library ◯ 6 Word Stories

6 Word Stories

Literacy Volunteers HBPL: 5.14.2020

Today's tutoring tip is 6-word Stories!

There are many ways to "play", what other ideas can you come up with?

Have fun and keep staying safe!

Here are some we've collected so far:
Patience comes and goes every day. ~ A.R.
Older and isolated but not alone. ~ Jim
Daily remaining content in all things. ~ Pat
Finally, time for War and Peace. ~ James
I long for eating out again. ~ Mary

Six Word Memoirs

Telling a short story in just 6 words.

Huntington Beach Library ◯ Picture Prompt Exercise

Picture Prompt Exercise

Literacy Volunteers HBPL: 4.07.2020

Happy Tuesday Tutors! Looking for ideas to help you stay in touch with your learner? Try this "Picture Prompt" exercise, it's easy and something you can do every day!

What other ways can you and your learner come up with to build on this exercise? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Enjoy!

 

Flashcards :: Amazingly Simple Technique Lets You Learn Anything in 5 Minute via Incs

The Ultimate List  

Best DIY Flashcard Apps

This Amazingly Simple Technique Lets You Learn Anything in 5 Minutes and Remember It Forever

Inc: 2.13.2018 by Minda Zetlin

If you're struggling to master a complex topic, a new language, or anything else that seems to strain your brain, Michael Nielsen has a suggestion for you: Try flashcards. Nielsen is a scientist and a research fellow at Y Combinator, and he's written books on such brain-straining topics as quantum computing and neural networks.

In a recent series of tweets, he explains his process and why he finds flashcards so useful. Silicon Valley insiders have been passing his advice along and asking for details about how he does it.

Nielsen says he first started memorizing flash cards (using an app called Anki, although there are lots of options) two years ago. Since then, he's memorized more than 9,000 flashcards, reviewing them while doing things like standing in line for coffee or riding in transit. He says he spends a total of about 20 minutes a day reviewing flashcards.

═════════►

Nielsen has a simple rule: If learning something could save him five minutes in the future, then he'll put whatever it is onto flashcards because it takes less than five minutes total to learn things this way.

1. Spaced repetition

This is what Nielsen sees as the reason for his success. Research has long shown that we absorb information better when it's repeated, but also when we have time to rest and reflect between study or practice times.  READ MORE >>

Learn to Earn Toolkit via NCFL

Learn to Earn Toolkit

National Center for Families Learning

Use the Learn to Earn Toolkit to build skills to prepare you for the workforce. Through your training on the Learn to Earn Toolkit, you will:

➧ Create your personal account and profile

➧ Be introduced to 10 topic areas of learning for the workforce

➧ Learn specific lessons within each topic area

➧ Explore career possibilities

➧ Learn new vocabulary in context

What is the Learn to Earn Toolkit?

Learn to Earn Toolkit is a free online collection of articles that focus on work skills. Articles focus on ten skills that employers say are important for new employees to have. The skills are also ones that employers say many new employees do not have. There are a total of 30 articles at each level that focus on these ten skills. Adult students can read articles and take quizzes on their own. The topics can also be used in adult education or family learning programs. Instructors can track a learner’s progress, and learners can print a list of the skills they have learned.

What is included in the content?

Learn to Earn offers a topic overview for each of the ten focus skills. Skill overview pages include a short introduction to the skill, an activity to practice with a partner, and a link to explore for more information about a specific job that uses the skill. On each skill page, you can link to three lessons for deeper learning about specific concepts of that skill.

What is the grade level of the text on Learn to Earn Toolkit?

Intermediate texts on Learn to Earn Toolkit are written at an average 4.7 grade level. Advanced texts are written at an average 7.7 grade level. Grade levels were determined using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level.

How are the quizzes structured?

Each quiz consists of six content questions, one idiom question, and three vocabulary questions.

Choose a skill and start learning!

You’ll find an introduction to read for each skill. Read the overview, practice the skill, and explore more information about the topic. You will find three articles for each skill.

You’ll find vocabulary words to help you learn more. You can use the Word Wheel to see how many words you learn. Take a quiz after each article to add that skill to your work-related skills list.

✬ Critical Thinking

✬ English Language

✬ Oral Communication

✬ Reading Comprehension

✬ Teamwork

✬ Diversity

✬ Information Technology Application

✬ Professionalism

✬ Social Responsibility

✬ Written Communication

Carlsbad Library :: Literacy Pairs Share Their Breakthroughs

Literacy Breakthroughs: Carlsbad Library Learning Center Literacy Pairs

Learning Connections: January/February 2019 by Carrie Scott

Even with the most effective tutoring pairs, plateaus can happen. Sometimes, you may find you’re in a rut, struggling with a new learning theory or needing a different approach.

Here are three Carlsbad Library Learning Center literacy pairs who shared their recent breakthroughs and leaps forward! We hope that their stories will inspire you to try new techniques, tools and ideas.

Andrea G. and Anastasio S — Writer to Writer

Anastasio had never typed a letter before. He'd written some paragraphs, but never a complete letter, and certainly not to an author! Last year, he entered the Writer to Writer Challenge, a contest for adult learners to read a book and write a letter to the author about how the book impacted their life. Anastasio chose the book "Road Trip" by Gary Paulson. He said he liked the book, because he enjoyed how the characters became friends on the trip. His tutor Andrea helped him by asking a lot of questions! Who were your favorite characters? Why do you like them? What questions would you have for the author? When asked what he would tell a fellow learner about writing a letter, he said, "It's not that hard. Just express yourself!"

Stephanie S. and Adriana M. — Phono-Graphix

Tutor Stephanie had been working with her learner on Phono-Graphix for about six weeks. Because her learner had been in the program before, she flew through the initial lessons and even the advanced code sound lessons, because the words were familiar to her. Stephanie wondered whether she was getting any benefit from the exercises. However, they had just started reading a novel that had many complex words. Several times, the learner came across an unfamiliar word, and she would pronounce it correctly (or correct her initial mispronunciation) and explain why a vowel sound was the correct one. They are both encouraged that she could pronounce a word correctly and, more importantly, understand why!

Rylee C. and Souad B. — Read Live

This pair had been meeting for about 6 months, and even though they were making progress, the learner was eager to learn faster. That's when we introduced them to Read Live, a computer program where the learner reads along with a story, while learning new vocabulary. According to Souad, "I'm learning a lot with reading and spelling. The sounding out of the words is very good and so is the repetition." The program is timed, and tutor Rylee noticed that Souad wants to finish the paragraph before the time is up. Rylee remarked,

"The timer keeps her wanting to read. She likes the challenge!"  READ MORE >>

Camarena Library :: The 5 W’s….and 1 H

The 5 W’s….and 1 H

The Literacy Place: October 2018 (Camarena Library)

The Five Ws (sometimes referred to as Five Ws and 1 How) are questions whose answers are considered basic in information gathering or problem solving.

• Who was involved?

• What happened?

• Where did it take place?

• When did it take place?

• Why did that happen?

Some authors add a sixth question, “how”, to the list:

• How did it happen?

These questions can help you become a better writer. By following these guidelines, you can become more descriptive and your writing will be more developed.

Los Angeles Public Library :: Vision To Success

VISION TO SUCCESS

READ: Spring 2018 by Literacy Coordinator Gemini Spencer

Oprah Winfrey did it. Ellen Degeneres did it. Steve Harvey did it, too! 

Recognizing the power of visualizing their dreams, these successful celebrities created vision boards to keep them reminded of their goals. And we all know how things turned out for them!

The concept of a vision board is the belief that your thoughts produce results. Negative thoughts produce negative results and positive thoughts produce positive results! Creating a vision board simply takes it a step further by exhibiting your thoughts as pictures you can see. It is there to remind you, to inspire you, to keep you progressing toward your vision of success!

With that in mind, I hosted a vision board workshop. Poster boards, magazines and delicious treats were provided, and Adult Literacy participants created boards that expressed their desires to travel, create nice homes, get married, and more.

Here are some tips to help you create a vision board with your student:

• Talk about your student’s vision/goals with him/her ahead of time so you’ll both have an idea what the fnished product will contain.

• You will need poster board, magazines, scissors and glue. Make sure to find an array of magazines.

• Look online with your student at examples. Look up “vision board” and “dream board.”

• Look through magazines ahead of time to cut down on the daunting task of fnding pictures the day the vision board is created.

• If you can, include background music to reinforce a cheerful mood.

I encourage you to create a vision board with your student. It’s like a pictorial to-do list that gently persuades you to keep moving forward.

Above are some pictures from a vision board session at the Baldwin Hills to inspire you!  READ MORE >>

The Only Reading Comprehension Tools You Need Are Right Under Your Nose

The Only Reading Comprehension Tools You Need Are Right Under Your Nose

Fluent U: by Susan Verner

Less is more.

Simple is best.

Apply this wisdom to your English teaching, and you’ll have the recipe for success.

That’s because to teach reading comprehension effectively, you don’t need to look any further than your own classroom for three seriously valuable teaching tools.

Yes, you heard right—the key you’ve been searching for has been right under your nose!

And putting these simple tools to use, we’re sharing 12 phenomenal, tested-and-approved reading comprehension activities below that require nothing more than a few bare essentials: pencil, notebook, post-its. Let’s get started!

Reading for Comprehension: 3 Simple Tools That Are Right Under Your Nose

1. Writing in the Book

2. A Reading Notebook

3. Off the Page

READ MORE>>

Orange Co Library :: READ OC :: Lunch N' Learn Workshops

Lunch N' Learn Workshop Series

October 26, 2017

12:00-1:00

Guest Speaker: Help Me Grow

Topic: Help Your Child Succeed in School

Garden Grove Main Library - 11200 Stanford Ave - Garden Grove

Join us the 4th Thursday of every month to share ideas with your fellow tutors and learners.

Lunch N’ Learn workshops are open to all OC READ tutors, learners, and members of the public.

Join OC READ and a monthly guest speaker to learn about resources for common literacy goals, and to network with your fellow tutors/learners. Bring your lunch!”

Redlands Library :: Find Out How to Choose the Right Book at A.K. Smiley Public Library Presentation

Find out how to choose the right book during at [sic] A.K. Smiley Public Library presentation

Redlands Daily Facts: 7.08.2017 by Diane Shimota, Adult Literacy Coordinator-A.K. Smiley Library

What are your some of your favorite things to do in Redlands during the warm summers? Do you enjoy reading a book or discovering a new favorite author?

How do you choose a book to read? Selecting just the right book can be a challenge for any reader.

The Redlands Adult Literacy Program serves as a gateway for adults who want to improve their reading and writing skills so they can select and read books they will enjoy.

Recently, the Redlands Adult Literacy Program welcomed guest speaker Carrie Scott of the Carlsbad Literacy Center to its second annual tutor/learner roundtable meeting. Scott has been involved with literacy programs for 29 years and she is co-chairman of the annual adult literacy Writer-to-Writer Challenge in which a learner reads a book and writes a letter to its author.

At the roundtable meeting, more than 50 tutors and learners were eager to learn from Scott how to choose books they will enjoy.

Scott stressed the importance of picking books that are of high interest to the reader. She suggested that readers adopt the following strategies in selecting books.

Start by finding several appealing books in an interesting subject area. Hold the books and compare them side by side. Look at the cover images, and read the back cover and inside flap to get an idea of what the book is about.  READ MORE @

Tutor Resources :: All Things Topics | BrainPop | Enchanted Learning | Idea Finder | LOC Everyday Mysteries | Nature Play Queensland | VOA News Learning English

Tweet – Tweeter – Tweetest

Superlatives from SCLLN

All Things Topics

resource for practicing reading, writing,

speaking, listening and vocabulary!

BrainPop

Animated Educational Site for Kids

Science, Social Studies, English, Math,

Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

@brainpop

Enchanted Learning

educational web sites and games designed

to stimulate creativity, learning, enjoyment, and imagination.

@EnchantedLearni

Idea Finder

stories behind the world's greatest inventors

and great inventions

Library of Congress Everyday Mysteries

answers to these and many other of life’s

most interesting questions

Nature Play Queensland

increase the time Queensland kids spend

in unstructured play outdoors and in nature.

@NaturePlayQld 

VOA News Learning English

Words and Their Stories

A Way to Learn American English and Much More

@VOALearnEnglish

Tutor Resources :: Explain That Stuff | Gizmo Highway | Heads Up English | My English Pages | National Geographic Education

Tweet – Tweeter – Tweetest

Superlatives from SCLLN

Explain That Stuff

Science and Technology Hard stuff... made simple

#ExplainThatStuff

Gizmo Highway

bringing together technologies; past, present & future

Heads Up English

lesson plans based on the news.

ESL materials for speaking, listening, vocabulary, and grammar

@CotterHUE

My English Pages

Free grammar, vocabulary and speaking lessons, exercises, tests

@MyEnglishPages

National Geographic Education

This Day: background info & vocabulary

about events for every day of the year

@NatGeoEducation