Welcome to Write Away!
The writing forum for Project Read learners.

We've redesigned our blog so that adult learners working at Project Read can share what they have written with other learners, tutors, and the public. There are a few simple guidelines to be aware of.
  1. This is a moderated site, so submissions and comments will first be reviewed before being approved and published.
  2. Adult learners submitting their writing have the option of using their first name (only) or using "anonymous" for authorship.
  3. We wish to honor the writing efforts of the adult learner/authors, so no major copy editing will be applied, but we may suggest minor corrections in consultation with the author.
  4. Only active Project Read learners are eligible to submit their writing to the Write Away blog and there are two ways of doing this: send submissions via email to projectread@sfpl.org, or stop by the office with a hard copy of your writing.
  5. The views and opinions expressed on this web site are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not represent those of the San Francisco Public Library and/or the City and County of San Francisco.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Notes from August Tutor Round Table Meeting

The Tutor Round Table meeting on Tuesday, August 7 was very well attended. Here are some of the topics which were discussed:


  • One tutor spoke about the difficulty her learner has in distinguishing the difference between certain sounds and spellings, for example: when/went.

Some of the instructional ideas suggested by those attending the meeting included: using multi-sensory techniques to reinforce these word pattern & sound differences; making sure to reinforce the instruction by consistent weekly review; and using a formal, structured approach to teaching these skills by using one of the free instructional books available in the Project Read office.

  • Another tutor mentioned that her learner makes a lot of reading errors because he/she is simply trying to read too quickly.

One suggestion was to utilize the Duet Reading technique in which the tutor and learner read a text simultaneously with the tutor setting the pace. By reading more slowly and emphasizing punctuation, the learner will get in the habit of doing the same when he/she reads on their own. Another suggestion was for the tutor to tap out a slower rhythm that the learner can follow when he/she reads.

  • A tutor mentioned that although she has tried to get her learner interested in joining the Wednesday Night Readers Book Club, there hasn't been a book that has looked interesting to the adult learner.

It was mentioned that there are a wide variety of books, covering many genres, and that although each title won't interest all learners, sooner or later there will be something that grabs their attention. One of the tutors spoke about the routine she uses to prepare her learner to attend the book club. They spend some time each week in their sessions discussing the reading, going over difficult vocabulary, and looking at the discussion/comprehension questions provided for each selection.

  • A tutor mentioned that her learner still has difficulty with reading comprehension and understanding the basic information contained in a story or article.

A tutor mentioned the useful tool of visualization--asking the learner to visualize what they are reading as they go. Other successful techniques to increase comprehension include paraphrasing what was read, mind-mapping, and asking the learner to look for specific information contained in the text before they start to read.

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