This extensive collection of videos was produced by the San José Public Library’s Partners in Reading program and Santa Clara City Library’s Read Santa Clara program. They were made possible in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
The videos are based on research that identifies four components of reading: alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Special thanks to the many tutors and learners who appear in the videos. For further study, see Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults.
Ideas for Using the Tutor Training Videos – Presented at California Library Association Pre-Conference Workshop, November 7, 2014
First Meeting
- First Meeting Call (6:45) An adult literacy tutor and adult learner call each other on the phone to set up a first meeting.
- Getting to Know Each Other (5:56) An adult literacy tutor and an adult literacy learner meet for the first time. They start to get to know each other and talk about their work and their families, and about learning goals.
- Getting to Know Each Other – Logistics (5:17) An adult literacy tutor and an adult learner meet for the first time. They discuss tutoring session logistics such as what to do if they need to cancel a lesson, if one will be late, how to handle confidentiality, etc.
- Learning Styles Inventory (10:54) As part of their first meeting, an adult literacy tutor and an adult learner complete a Learning Styles Inventory to find out how the learner learns best and if she is a kinesthetic, visual or auditory learner.
ALPHABETICS
Phoenemic Awareness
- Task 1: Phoneme Isolation (5:40) An adult literacy tutor and an adult literacy learner practice the phonemic awareness task of Phoneme isolation: recognizing individual sounds in words.
- Task 2: Phoneme Identity (6:14) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice the phonemic awareness task of Phonemic Identity: recognizing the common sound in different words.
- Task 3: Phoneme Categorization (5:57) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice recognizing the word with the odd sound in a sequence of three or four words.
- Task 4: Phoneme Blending (Combining Sounds to Form a Word)
- Task 5: Phoneme Segmentation (6:35) An adult literacy tutor and learner practice breaking a word into its sounds by tapping out or counting the sounds, or by pronouncing and positioning a marker for each sound.
- Task 6: Phoneme Deletion An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice recognizing what word remains when a specific phoneme (sound) is removed.
Decoding – Phonics
- Part 1: Tutoring Using Synthetic Phonics (6:16) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice blending individual sounds together to read a word.
- Part 2: Tutoring Using Analytic Phonics (6:25) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice analyzing the sounds that make up a word that is already identified.
- Part 3: Tutoring Using Phonics by Analogy (6:47) An adult literacy tutor and learner use parts of known words (word patterns) to identify unfamiliar words by analogy, or rhyming.
- Part 4: Tutoring Using Phonics through Spelling (6:43) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice breaking a word into its sounds and then identifying the corresponding letters to spell the word.
- Part 5: Tutoring Using Phonics in Context (6:59) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice using both letter-sound correspondences and context clues to identify unfamiliar words.
- Part 6: Tutoring Phonics Using a Multisensory Approach (7:20) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice using manipulatives to practice phonics with touch and movement.
- Feeling Sounds for Phonics Practice (7:54) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner some activities to practice to feel how to make the phonics sounds.
Decoding Words in Isolation and in Context
- Part 1: Letter Tiles (6:34) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate activities using letter tiles to practice decoding words.
- Part 2: Flash Cards and a Controlled Vocabulary Text (9:24) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate activities reading sight words in isolation on flash cards and then in a text with controlled vocabulary.
Decoding – Sight Words
- Part 1: High Frequency Sight Words, Multisensory Practice (6:31) An adult literacy tutor introduces the concept of sight words to a learner and a multisensory technique to learn the words.
- Part 2: High Frequency Sight Words, Practice in Multiple Ways (5:38) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate various activities to reinforce learning sight words.
- Part 3: High Frequency Sight Words, Learning Sight Words from a Text (11:40) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate choosing and practicing strategies for sight words.
- Part 1: Practicing the Strategy (9:14) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice a step-by-step decoding strategy to learn how to decode words the student does not recognize when she sees them in a sentence. Part 1 of 2.
- Part 2: Evaluating the Strategy (4:59) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice practice a step-by-step decoding strategy to learn how to decode words the student does not recognize when she sees them in a sentence. Then they evaluate the strategy, talking about what worked and how the student can use what she learned. Part 2 of 2.
FLUENCY
- Part 1: Introduction (4:19) An adult literacy tutor introduces an adult literacy learner to the concept of Reading Fluency. They talk about how fluency is the ability to read with appropriate speed, accuracy, phrasing and expression, and how that it is necessary for comprehension.
- Part 2: Tutor & Cross-Generational Reading (12:15) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice two fluency strategies together: Reading to the Tutor and 2) Cross-Generational Reading.
- Part 3: Duet Reading and Cross-Generational Reading (9:27) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice two fluency strategies together: Duet Reading and Cross-Generational Reading.
- Part 4: Echo Reading and Cross-Generational Reading (6:15) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice two fluency strategies together: Echo Reading and Cross-Generational Reading.
- Part 5: Comparing the Strategies (7:23) An adult literacy tutor and a learner review the strategies they have used to practice fluency: Reading to the Tutor, Duet Reading, Echo Reading, and Cross-Generational Reading. They compare which strategies help improve different aspects of fluency and which the student prefers.
- Part 6: Demonstrating Improvement with Recordings (11:21) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice Recorded Reading as a way to demonstrate how much progress the learner has made in her fluency through explicit instruction and practice.
- Part 7: Recorded Reading for Independent Practice (12:18) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice Recorded Reading for Independent Practice so that the learner knows how to use technology to practice at home.
VOCABULARY
Using Context Clues
- Part 1: Restatement (8:18) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner how to look for restatements in a text to look for clues to the meaning of unknown words.
- Part 2: Synonyms (6:38) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner how to use context clues to figure out the meaning of unknown words.
- Part 3: Definitions and Antonyms (7:25) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner how to learn the meaning of unknown words by using context clues which includes definitions or antonyms.
Teaching Difficult Words
- Homographs (6:45) An adult literacy introduces a learner to homographs, words that look the same but have different meanings.
- Homophones (9:45) An adult literacy introduces a learner to homophones, words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
- Part 1: Introduction to Proper Nouns (6:19) An adult literacy tutor introduces a learner to the concept of proper nouns and how to recognize them to improve vocabulary and reading comprehension.
- Part 2: Identifying Proper Nouns (5:55) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice identifying words which are capitalized because they are proper nouns.
- Part 3: Identifying Proper Nouns in a News Article (7:34) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice identifying proper nouns in an article as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 4: Practicing Proper Nouns as Homework (5:25) An adult literacy tutor prepares a learner to complete a vocabulary and reading lesson for homework.
Selecting Words to Pre-Teach
- Part 1: Introduction (7:42) An adult literacy tutor introduces the strategy of selecting useful words to teach a learner before reading a text, to increase the learner’s vocabulary and boost reading comprehension.
- Part 2: Think Aloud (8:15) An adult literacy tutor uses a Think Aloud strategy to demonstrate how she chooses words to pre-teach to a learner.
- Part 3: A Strategy for Learners (8:00) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner how to independently select words to review prior to reading, and how to figure out the meanings.
- Part 4: Choosing the Words (6:57) An adult literacy tutor guides a learner in practice choosing words to review prior to reading a text and practice defining the words.
- Part 5: Discussing the Meanings of Words (7:56) An adult literacy tutor and a learner review and discuss the words they have selected to learn prior to reading a text.
Signal Words
- Part 1: Understanding Signal Words (10:38) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner how signal words give a reader clues about what is important in a text.
- Part 2: Using signal Words in Sentences (8:31) An adult literacy tutor guides a learner in making sentences using signal words.
Working with Words – Building a Word Bank
- Part 1: Building a Word Bank (9:48) An adult literacy tutor teaches vocabulary development to a learner using the following strategies: Writing unfamiliar words on index cards, Writing word definitions on the back of index cards, Drawing pictures of words on index cards, Looking up words in the dictionary, Re-reading text to check definitions against the story’s context, A learner using his own words to define words.
- Part 2: Building a Word Bank, Reinforcement (8:38) An adult literacy tutor guides a learner in strategies to practice words from his word bank. Strategies include: Copying sentences from a story, Writing new sentences, Re-reading text for improved comprehension, Practicing words with flash-card drills, using CLOZE fill-in-the-blank activities.
- Part 3: Building a Word Bank, Activities (10:46) An adult literacy tutor guides a learner in practicing activities to reinforce his word bank. Strategies include: Word search puzzles, Finding words in tutor-created sentences, Writing a story using new words, Matching flash cards with words in story.
COMPREHENSION
Comprehension Strategies
- Making Inferences (7:28) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate ways to identify inferences and to practice making inferences as a strategy to improve comprehension.
- Posing and Answering Questions (9:16) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate how to ask and answer questions as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
KWLN Chart
- Part 1: Introduction (4:52) An adult literacy tutor introduces a learner using a graphic organizer, known as a KWLN chart, to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 2: Before Reading (7:02) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate how to use a KWLN chart, a graphic organizer, as a pre-reading strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 3: After Reading (7:29) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate how to use a KWLN chart, a graphic organizer, during and after reading as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
Titles, Headings, Graphics, Pictures and Summaries
- Part 1: Introduction (4:14) An adult literacy tutor introduces a learner to the pre-reading strategy of using titles, headlines, graphics, pictures and summaries to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 2: Practicing the Strategy (6:08) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice the pre-reading strategy of using titles, headlines, graphics, pictures and summaries to improve reading comprehension.
Making Predictions
- Part 1: Introduction (5:10) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner about making predictions before, during and after reading as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 2: During Reading (8:33) An adult literacy tutor and a learner demonstrate the strategy of making predictions before, during and after reading to improve reading comprehension.
Scanning
- Part 1: Scanning a Form (9:05) An adult literacy tutor teaches a learner how to scan a form to find specific information as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 2: Scanning Listings on a Computer (8:18) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice scanning lists on a computer to find specific information as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 3: Scanning the Phone Book (10:13) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice scanning the phone book for specific information as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 4: Scanning for Unfamiliar Vocabulary Words Before Reading (6:08) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice scanning a text to identify unfamiliar words before reading as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
Skimming
- Part 1: Introducing the Strategy of Skimming (6:00) An adult literacy tutor introduces a learner to the practice of skimming as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 2: Practicing Skimming for Making Decisions (5:57) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice skimming a text to be able to get the gist of a text to make a decision.
- Part 3: Practicing Skimming for Planning (9:14) An adult literacy tutor guides a learner to skim recipes from a cookbook to get key points to evaluate the recipes.
- Part 4: Introducing a 5-Step Strategy (5:30) An adult literacy tutor explicitly teaches a learner a five-part strategy for skimming to improve reading comprehension. The strategy includes: Reading the title, subtitles, and heading, Looking at illustrations, Reading the first and last sentence of each paragraph, Looking for key words, Thinking about the text’s meaning.
- Part 5: Practicing a 5-Step Strategy (11:28) An adult literacy tutor and a learner practice using the 5-Step strategy for skimming a text.
- Part 6: Using a 5-Step Strategy (6:56) An adult literacy tutor guides a learner in using the 5-Step strategy for skimming a text.
Think Aloud
- Part 1: Introduction (6:37) An adult literacy tutor introduces the Think Aloud tutoring strategy as a way to develop metacognition and monitor comprehension while reading independently, and to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 2: “I Do” Demonstration (9:24) An adult literacy tutor and an adult student demonstrate a comprehension monitoring strategy called a Think Aloud to develop metacognition and improve reading comprehension. To demonstrate the Think Aloud, they show the “I Do” portion of a strategy called, “I Do”, “We Do” and “You Do.”
- Part 3: “We Do” (6:19) Demonstration An adult literacy tutor and an adult literacy student demonstrate a comprehension monitoring strategy called a Think Aloud to develop metacognition and improve reading comprehension. To demonstrate the Think Aloud, they show the “We Do” portion of a strategy called, “I Do”, “We Do”, and “You Do”.
- Part 4: “You Do” (8:31) Demonstration An adult literacy tutor and an adult literacy student demonstrate a comprehension monitoring strategy called a Think Aloud to develop metacognition and improve reading comprehension. To demonstrate the Think Aloud, they show the “You Do” portion of a strategy called, “I Do”, “We Do” and “You Do”.
Mind Mapping
- Part 1: Pre-Reading An adult literacy tutor teaches an adult student about using a graphic organizer, in this case, a Mind Map (or a Semantic Map) as a pre-reading strategy to improve reading comprehension.
- Part 2: While Reading An adult literacy tutor and an adult literacy student use a Mind Map (or a Semantic Map) as a reading strategy while reading to improve reading comprehension.