The Laubach Way to Reading

The Laubach Way to ReadingHelping New and Low Level Learners to Succeed!!

Sandra Sullivan Learning for Life Programof the West Side Catholic Center

Presented by Jacquelyn A. Comeaux of The L.E.A.D. Institute, LLCLeadership, Education and Business Development Training and Consulting

April 12, 2010

The Laubach Way to Reading 2

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This training is provided FREE by The L.E.A.D. Institute, LLC in cooperation with Farrell Ink, LLC and thanks to the Sandra Sullivan Learning for Life Program of the West Side Catholic Center in Cleveland, Ohio.


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The L.E.A.D. Institute, LLC is a network of Educators and Consultants providing: Professional & Personal Development

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The Sandra Sullivan Learning for Life Program supports non-profits and faith communities to provide cost effective, volunteer-based adult education tutoring.

You may duplicate, present, or print this training FREE for non-commercial purposes and can customize it as long as you attribute the training to the Sandra Sullivan Learning for Life Program.


Agenda – Part One “Charting the Course”

What is the Laubach Way to Reading?

Characteristics of New Readers or Low Level Learners

Special Needs of the Adult Learner Hearing Vision Learning Disabilities

Individual Learning Styles


Agenda – Part Two “Beginning the Journey”

The Roadmap: The 4 Critical Components to Reading

Mile Markers: Lessons in the Skill Books

Final Destination: Tips for Top Tutors!



Each Adult Learner is a Unique Individual

Tutoring is Effective

Reading and Writing are Meaning-based Processes

A Variety of Instructional Approaches are Needed



Each Adult Learner is a Unique Individual

They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the learning process.

They have their on needs and interests.

Tutors/Teachers must work with the learner to tailor the program to their long-terms goals and short term objectives



Tutoring is Effective!

Traditional instruction methods may have failed many of the learners. Tutoring offered in small groups or one-on-one offers another chance.

Tutors can develop a respectful and encouraging

relationship and create a new environment for learning. This new environment can guide and support the learners literacy development.



Reading and Writing are Meaning-based Processes The goal of literacy instruction is to help learners

gain the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to actively make meaning (or sense) out of written language.

To do this learners must be able to recognize the language forms (letters, words, style, formats) being used in what they read and in what they write.



Reading and Writing are Meaning-based Processes (cont’d) They must understand the author’s purpose for

writing and have a purpose for what they write.

They must react to what they read using prior knowledge, and then be able to apply the meaning to their own lives.



A Variety of Instructional Approaches are Needed Tutors /Teachers will need to be able to use a

variety of teaching techniques and materials.

Tutors/Teachers need to understand the following concepts of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing and know that they are interrelated parts of the language acquisition process.

Tutors/Teachers must integrate all four of these communication tools into your reading and writing instruction.


Characteristics of the New Reader or Low Level Learner

Learners: Want/deserve

respect

Are used to making decisions

Are busy people

Tutor/Teachers: Emphasize learner skills

and strengths. Give frequent praise and support

Design lesson plans that address priority needs so learner experiences success

Involve the learner in setting goals and objectives

Ask learner to evaluate the lessons respecting their opinions

Be flexible in assigning homework

Use tutoring time carefully


Characteristics of the New and Low Level Learner

Learners: Have to deal with

emergencies and unexpected situations

Have a wealth of life experiences

Tutor/Teachers: Make an agreement on how

to contact each other if you or the learner cannot make a session

Have alternative activities ready in case the learner did not have time to prepare or you need a sub

Design instructional activities around the learners work, community , family, politics, hobbies, friends, or current interests



Learners: Sometimes feel

insecure about using new skills on their own

Tutor/Teachers: Provide plenty of

opportunity to practice new skills

Practice exercises with learner before asking them to do it alone or for homework

Don’t ask something you know the learner doesn’t know

Ask the learner to repeat explanations or instruction so you can check understanding



Learners: Have their own

values and beliefs

May have special physical needs

Tutor/Teachers: Respect the learner’s

values and don’t try to change them or judge them

Speak clearly, be sensitive to possible sight/hearing problems

Meet in a place that is comfortable and accessible to the learner

Provide adequate break time and lighting



Learners: Want to apply what

they learn to their present lives

May fear school

Tutor/Teachers: Find out what the learner

needs Show how a skill or lesson

helps the learner move closer to meeting those needs

De-emphasize formal testing

Find out what school experiences were unpleasant and avoid re-creating them

Sit next to, rather than stand over the learner



Learners: May be

embarrassed or ashamed about returning or coming to sessions

Tutor/Teachers: Encourage and be

supportive of the learner Let them know there is

nothing wrong with him or her

Be Patient!


Special Needs

Hearing – Signs to look for: Learner speaks loudly Asks you to repeat yourself Misunderstands you Turns an ear toward you

when you speak

If these things happen you can: Enunciate clearly Speak loudly without yelling Make sure the learner is

looking at you when you start to speak

Ask the learner to repeat explanations or instructions


Special Needs

Vision – Signs to look for: Squinting, holding a book

very close or very far away Bending low over the table Headaches Eye fatigue Inability to read small print Misreading words

If these things happen you can: Ask learner to tell you if the

print is too small Work in a well-lighted area Use large-print books Use a magnifying bar


Special Needs

Everyone who has a problem learning to read has a learning disability? True or False

Learning Disability is a term that refers to a broad spectrum of processing disorders that arise from problems in taking in, storing, retrieving, or expressing information.


Special Needs

Learning Disabilities – Signs to look for: Hyperactivity- (restlessness, poor motor coordination,

talking a lot but frequently with incomplete thoughts

Hypo activity- (reacting slowly, working slowly, seeming unemotional)

Attention problems -(daydreaming, seeming confused, having difficulty concentrating, being easily distracted)


Special Needs

Learning Disabilities – Signs to look for: (cont’d) Impulsivity- (acting without thinking and without concern

for consequences, not staying with a task, saying one thing and meaning another, speaking at inappropriate times)

Other general behaviors- (misinterpreting what others say, having memory problems, being clumsy, displaying poor decision-making skills, having difficulty managing time, displaying poor fine motor skills, confusing left and right, up and down, or east and west)


Special Needs

Tutors, in consultation with their literacy program should:

Determine whether problems that occur in tutoring are caused by the methods of instruction or a Learning Disability of the student.

If you are working with a Learning Disability learner, try a variety of techniques to build on the learner’s strengths and compensate for weaknesses.

Use multi-sensory techniques


Special NeedsTips to Help Learning Disability Learners

Experiment with large print Use graph paper to help

with letter spacing in writing

Prepare the learner for changes in routine

Rephrase questions during discussions and on assessments

Make frequent eye contact

Present information in small, manageable steps

Structure activities Teach new material in

concrete ways. Give examples

Relate new material to the learner’s everyday life

Discuss and study new vocabulary words before they appear in the instructional materials


Special NeedsTips to Help Learning Disability Learners

Teach and encourage the use of mnemonic (techniques for memorizing information)

Be well prepared for each session

Use untimed tests Use multiple choice tests Provide frequent

reinforcement and feedback

Set up instructional space away from distractions

Restate information in a variety of ways

Use a colored transparency to change the contrast between ink and paper on reading materials


Individual Learning StylesA learning style is the way a person takes in, stores, and retrieves information. The 3 main senses a learner uses are:

Type of Learner Sense Relied On CharacteristicsAuditory Hearing Learns by listening

and discussing

Visual Sight Learns by visualizing and by looking at text, charts, pictures

Kinesthetic/Tactile Movement, Touch Learns by doing and being physically involved in a task


Individual Learning StylesA multi-sensory approach to teaching and learning involves all

three of these senses. It has the following advantages:

It ensures that the tutor will provide opportunities for a learner to use the sense that works best, even if the tutor is not sure what that sense is.

The more pathways a learner uses, the more likely he or she is to retain the information.

People tend to rely on different senses depending on the tasks at hand.



Auditory Learners Prefer oral instructions Understand information

best when they repeat it aloud after hearing it

Can discriminate between words that sound alike (bat/bet) and between similar sounds (s/z)

Can reproduce information they hear: sounds, words, grammatical structures

Tutors/Teachers can: Read to the learner Make audiotapes of

reading selections Encourage the learner to

discuss or summarize a reading passage

Ask the learner to repeat instructions

Use oral reading techniques

Use music and rhythms to reinforce learning



Visual Learners See information in their

minds (form mental pictures)

Prefer written instructions or demonstrations

Tutors/Teachers can: Choose materials with

pictures/other illustrations Use flash cards, diagrams,

and charts Use language experience

activities to help the learner see his or her words and ideas in print

Write instructions to reinforce oral instructions

use visualization techniques to help with spelling, sight words, and comprehension



Kinesthetic/TactileLearners Are physically active Learn by touching and

doing May recall information

more easily when some physical action is involved: walking, touching objects, movement, taking notes

Would rather do something than talk or write about it

Tutors/Teachers can: Have the learner trace letter

or words Develop writing activities to

reinforce the reading skills being learned

Ask the learner to draw a picture that represents the story

Use letter cards or letter game tiles to spell words

Use word cards to form sentences

Use computers or simulation and board games


Let’s Review

Laubach’s Way Each Adult Learner is a Unique Individual Tutoring is Effective Reading and Writing are Meaning based Processes A Variety of Instructional Approaches are Needed

3 Major Characteristics of New Readers/Low Level Learners Have a wealth of life experience with their own values/

beliefs and want to apply what they learn to present lives Sometimes feel insecure about using new skills on their

own and embarrassed about being unable to read or write May have special physical needs


Let’s Review

Special Needs Hearing Vision Learning Disabilities

Individual Learning Styles Auditory - Hearing Visual – Sight Kinesthetic/Tactile – Movement, Touch Multi-Sensory Approach


Your Turn!

Question and Answer Time


Agenda – Part Two “Beginning the Journey”

The Roadmap: The 4 Critical Components to Reading


Final Destination: Tips for Top Tutors


The 4 Critical Components to Reading

Effective readers should be able to do the following: Recognize – match letters/sounds to

form/decode printed words and to learn the meaning/spelling of words.

Understand – understand the intended message – both what the author says and what can be inferred (Comprehension)


The 4 Critical Components to Reading (cont’d)

React: compare and integrate the information in the text with their own knowledge and/or prior experience

Apply: use the new knowledge or skills gained from the reading in other contexts or to meet personal needs



Lessons 1 -5 Recognizing letters and letter sounds

Letters – small and Capital Sounds – for small and capital letters

Phonics- Blending of letter/sounds to form/decode words Name the letter Sound out the letter Repeat the sounds of the letters Read the word


Mile Markers: Lessons in the Skill BooksLessons 1 -5 – Tutor TipsRecognize letters and letter sounds Provide a phonics chart - use of pictures and key words to

help student using visual skills Picture Letter Sound Word D da Dad

a a d da

Phonics- Blending of letter/sounds to form/decode words Name the letter Sound out the letter Repeat the sounds of the letters Read the word


Mile Markers: Lessons in the Skill Books Lessons 1 -5 – Tutor TipsRecognize letters and letter sounds Blending letters and sounds (Diagraphs blends) Example: Reading words with short “i” sound Picture Blending Sound Word K i ch en Kitchen

Digraphs =2 letters together that make a completelydifferent sound than either of the letters separately (Ex: ch,wh, th, sh, ing). These cannot be broken apart.


Mile Markers: Lessons in the Skill Books Lessons 1 -5 – Tutor TipsRecognize letters and letter sounds Blending letters and sounds (Consonant blends) Example: Reading words with short “o” sound Picture Phonetic Sound Word Cl o ck Clock

Consonant Blend =Do hear sound of each letter but the 2sounds flow together (Ex: cl, fr, dr, sk, st, br)



Lessons 1 -5 – Tutor Tips (Building Vocabulary)Student can create Word Charts to help Understandunfamiliar words, defining them and having the learnerconsider how they relate or how they React to other words.

New Word

Definitionor

Synonym

Association learner has

with the word

Antonyms

Recycle Use again

The plastic milk carton goes in a

recycle bin.

Throw away/discard

Example



Lessons 6-7 – Tutor TipsIntroduce syllables Explain what a syllable is = A division of the spoken word

based on the vowels found in the word. Each syllable has 1 vowel sound

Example: Dad = 1 syllable Clock = 1 syllable Fish = 1 syllable Kitchen = 2 syllables Fixing = 2 syllables

Dinner = 2 syllables Radio = 3 syllables Listening= 3 syllables

Recycle = 3 syllables* (the y has an “long i” sound)



Lessons 6-7 – Tutor Tips Directed Reading – Tutor and learner read together Student reads a story aloud. (Apply) Start with the title. If the student is reading word by

word rather than phrases, draw them along with your finger.

Review any words missed Start with questions the learner can answer correctly

then move to more challenging questions when they are ready.

Ask factual questions (ones that can be found directly in the text) to develop comprehension



Lessons 6-7 – Tutor TipsDirected Reading – Tutor and learner read togetherStudent reads a story about a family fixing dinner. Start early to help student relate the reading to their own

life experience. (Ex: Fixing dinner – Ask what student fixes for dinner, how do they fix it, what else do you fix with it, etc.) This helps learner to increase their understanding of the written materials.

Ask about and review punctuation

Point to the punctuation . Ask what it is? Period What does it men? End of sentence

Example



Lessons 6-7 – Tutor TipsDirected Reading – Tutor and learner read togetherStudent reads a story silently. The story combines the letter/sound blending, word recognition, vocabulary buildingand comprehension skills learned by the student in the first 5Lessons.

Example: The Hill family is in the kitchen. The time on the clock is 5pm. Jill is fixing dinner. They are having fish. Uncle Bob caught the fish in the lake. Ed is sitting in the kitchen with his little sister Kim. The children are listening to the radio. Jim Hill, the dad, pours each child a glass of milk. He puts the empty milk carton in the recycle bin. Jim and Kim set the table. Dinner is ready. They sit down to eat.



Lessons 6-7 – Tutor TipsAsking QuestionsExample: The Hill family is in the kitchen. The time on the

clock is 5pm. Jill is fixing dinner. They are having fish. Uncle Bob caught the fish in the lake. Ed is sitting in the kitchen with his little sister Kim. The children are listening to the radio. Jim Hill, the dad, pours each child a glass of milk. He puts the empty milk carton in the recycle bin. Jim and Kim set the table. Dinner is ready. They sit down to eat.

Ask Literal questions (What does the text say?)

Who is sitting in the kitchen?What is the family having for dinner?





Ask Inferential questions (What is written between the lines?)Do you think Jim is a good Dad?What is the main idea of the story?





Ask Applied questions (What is in the reader’s mind?)

Do you think the family likes eating together? Why or Why not?

What would you have done if you were Jill?


Tips for Top Tutors!

Lessons should revolve around the learner’s goals

Lessons should build on each other

Each lesson should include time for review and reinforcement

Each lesson should integrate all four comunication tools

The learner should learn something new in each lesson



1. Plan the Lesson What are the learning objectives? What will the learner accomplish? What materials will you use? What activities and teaching techniques

will you use? How can you integrate listening,

speaking, reading, and writing in the lesson?



1. Plan the Lesson (cont’d) How much time will you spend on each

activity? How will you and the learner answer

the question, “Was it a good lesson?”

Do the Lesson!



3. Evaluate the Lesson Talk with the learner about the lesson Ask the learner to record thoughts in a

journal Develop and make notes in your Tutor

Log Write ideas for the next lesson


Let’s Review4 Critical Components to Reading Recognize Understand React Apply

Mile Markers – Lessons in the Skills Books12 Steps to Successful Reading1. Look at the word2. Say the word3. Note the part that is written the way it sounds


Let’s ReviewMile Markers – Lessons in the Skills Books 12 Steps to Successful Reading (cont’d)4. Note the part that is not written as it sounds5. Note any special points to remember 6. Say the word again7. Say the letters in sequence for each part of the word8. Look at the word again9. Close your eyes and see the word in your mind10. Spell the word again11. Write the word without looking 12. Check to see if you are right


Let’s ReviewFinal Destination: Tips for Top Tutors1. Be patient2. Plan lessons in advance3. Be flexible4. Be creative


Your Turn!

Question and Answer Time


The Mustard Seed Prayer

GOD, thank you for the mustard seed although it is so small

GOD, thank you for the plant that grows up largest of them all

GOD, thank you for the birds that sing in branches that reach wide

GOD, thank you for the words you teach while walking by my side

GOD, give us love and strength to meet each other’s human need

God, bury me to rise again just like the mustard seed.AMEN

Documents

The Laubach Way to Reading