Project Read

Students’ School Textbooks

kristina — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:53:52 +0000

Some of Project-Read’s students are enrolled in differing forms of education. If this is the case for your student, the textbooks and manuals that that student has can provide a great material resource in helping the student learn to read. If the student and you decide to use their textbook as a learning resource, there are important guidelines that you should remember to help fulfill Project-Read’s goal of improving literacy.

Most importantly, remember as a Project-Read tutor, your goal is to help your student improve their literacy not help them with their assignments. The old adage of its better to teach a man to fish than give him a fish is applicable in this situation. You and your student should make goals on helping them improve their comprehension and vocabulary. You can do this by reading passages together and discussing the overall meaning. While doing this you can look for vocabulary words to assign as homework and test later. You could also assign essays on the assigned readings.

If used correctly and with imagination, students’ textbooks can be a great resource and provide the motivation for your student to take their learning into their own hands. Remember that the goal is for your student is to gain the skills that she/he will need to continue their learning journey.

Writing Sample March 2013

shauna — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:58:05 +0000

Even thought I know she is a well teacher. I most letter go to help another student, because I found a job that takes me all the noon and evening. But I hope she will be my friend forever. Even when we never see each other you will be my friend. You can count on me if sometime you have a problem. Thank you Jan for taking your personal time to help others. I hope sometime I can do the same to help other too.

P.S. I still have to study more English and a new career. I haven’t forget.

Plan and Teach Based on Needs

kristina — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:14:34 +0000

Teaching is most effective when the learner is ready to learn. Otherwise, teaching efforts may feel fruitless or like banging your head against a closed door. This proves tortuous and uncomfortable for both the student and teacher. Once our students understand they need the valuable lessons taught to them by patient tutors, the learning process will accelerate. In other words, we need to teach people, not lessons. One way to teach based on student needs is seeking knowledge from students as to what they need to learn next. Student needs may be found through dropped hints or clues of what they are ready to learn next. The more the tutor pays attention to the student, the more obvious these needs will become apparent.

Another method to know student needs may come from a simple conversation with the student. Through simply asking the student “What do you think you would like to work on next?” or “What do you think you need to work on next?” may provide valuable insight. The more upfront and transparent the tutor is with the learner, the better. Obviously there are some things that need to be learned that the student may not be aware of. In this case, perhaps giving the learner two or three options of topics to choose from can unite the tutor and student in a mutual goal. Once the student finds he/she has a choice and active role in his/her learning, the student is more likely to have more positive motivation. Teaching students based on their current needs will both help the student feel more engaged and provide a catalyst to the learning process.

Tutor of the Month

kristina — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:43:01 +0000

Karisa Clark has been tutoring since last November and has had a great experience seeing progress in her student. She says she loves learning from her student’s experiences and often feels she learns more than she teaches! She decided to volunteer because she loved the idea of working one-on-one with a student where she could develop a friendship that isn’t possible in classroom settings. She encourages all tutors to be creative with games and activities and don’t be afraid to improvise!

Karisa is from Kansas, but attended Bible College in West Virginia where she got a degree in the Bible and Theology. She made the move to Utah for an internship at a radio station and sees herself staying at the station indefinitely. In fact, she decided to volunteer with Project Read when she made an announcement for them over the radio! She loves to read, write, and hike in her free time. Tune in to 1450 AM to hear Karisa on the radio!

Student of the Month

kristina — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:37:11 +0000

Susana Ramirez is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, and has been with Project Read for 1 1/2 years. As a student at Independence High School, she studies English alongside her normal schoolwork and is grateful for the help she has received through Project Read in improving her reading skills and understanding history better. She is working towards getting her GED so she can go on to higher education someday. Susana is kind and relaxed, taking things one day at a time. Her tutor describes her as “the sweetest person I know,” which is a great characteristic for her dream job as a dental assistant! When she isn’t busy with school, Susana works in Payson and does Zumba.

2013 Writing Contest

shauna — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 01:01:08 +0000

Click here to view the file

Writing Contest

shauna — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:42:35 +0000

It’s time for our annual summer writing contest! Click here for the picture prompts and more information.

The Complete Phonic Handbook

kristina — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:17:01 +0000

“Phonetics” refers to speech sounds or how combinations of letters indicate pronunciation, and it has recently been regarded by many experts as a good way to teach literacy skills. The Complete Phonic Handbook by Diana Hope is a book in the Project Read office. It’s an excellent resource for teaching phonics skills as it includes grapho-phonic family word lists, common spellings for specific sounds, lists of compound words, principles for increasing grapho-phonic understanding, and activity ideas. The whole book is split up into color-coded categories according to approximate reading age, so it can be used for students at all reading levels. The extensive family word lists are especially useful for relating words with similar sounds to each other. For instance, when your student has trouble with one word repeatedly, you can show him or her the correct sound and a list of other words that have that same sound/spelling. By doing so, you will not only give him or her more examples of when that sound is used, but you will also help your student see other areas where potential mistakes may be made or, with practice, avoided. This is a comprehensive grapho-phonic and spelling reference with word lists of commonly misspelled or mispronounced consonant/vowel combinations. Please take advantage of this resource.

Student of the Month

kristina — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:14:26 +0000

Josefina Melena has been a student with Project Read since last November. She found out about the program on the library website. She is working on improving her reading and writing to get her GED. She hopes to go to college and study graphic design once she has her GED, and we are eager to see her accomplish her goals. She is grateful for all the time the volunteers give to help the students be successful.

Josefina moved to Utah from Mexico City 13 years ago so her husband could get his MBA. Although she doesn’t have a “job,” she is a stay at home mom, which is a lot of work! She loves having fun with her family and doing Zumba in her free time. In addition, she loves to read and recently finished reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People…in English! She hopes to keep enjoying her journey in life and encourages others not to get so busy that they forget to enjoy what they are doing.

Tutor of the Month

kristina — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:12:24 +0000

Linda Tyler is a tutor of 6 or 7 years. She found out about Project Read through her neighbor, who is Sue’s mother. She decided to tutor because she believes we have an obligation to look at people in different circumstances from us and share our gifts with them. She loves tutoring because she meets new, interesting people, and she says the most important thing when tutoring is to work toward your student’s personal goals.

Linda has lived all over the states but grew up in Utah. She now lives half of the year in Provo and spends the other half working in national parks, like Bryce Canyon and the Grand Tetons. In addition to her travels within the states, she has taught English in China and served a mission in Russia with her husband. Linda now enjoys the freedom of retirement, but has a PhD in history and has taught at several colleges. She has a special interest in 19^th century American history, but calls herself a “non-discriminate reader,” and says her absolute favorite thing to do is read in a comfy chair.