What kind of student can use extra literacy help

• The scope of the problem:– NAEP* found that 37 percent of fourth graders are not

able to meet basic reading levels– 20 percent of students have a learning disability

• Of these children, the majority (80-90 percent) have reading disabilities

– In Virginia, 15 to 16 percent of kindergarteners start school without rudimentary literacy foundations

Evidence That Tutoring Works from the U.S. Department of Education

* National Assessment of Educational Progress

Is tutoring the same as homework help

• Many parents do hire tutors to help their students with homework

• But tutoring can encompass larger areas of academic assistance– Literacy tutoring often focuses on students' remedial

needs — areas in which the student could use extra help

• In these situations, the tutor finds where the child is functioning comfortably, and builds from there

• Given the limited time a tutor has with a student (often two or three sessions a week), the focus for a child who's struggling with reading needs to be on remediation, rather than homework help

How tutoring models differ

– Format • One-on-one• Small-group• Larger student to tutor ratio

– Curriculum• "Out of a box," pre-established plans

– Most basal reading companies have such plans– These plans often consist of re-teaching material that

students didn't get the first time around– Personnel

• Experts such as reading specialists or highly trained teachers deliver individualized tutoring to struggling readers

• Volunteers or paraprofessionals (usually closely trained and supervised in an ongoing way) tutor students

Find out What Reading Research Says About Volunteer Tutoring

Tutoring program locations

• Both in and out-of-school• During school hours, after school, and before school• On-site at school building, in other kinds of buildings,

in homes

For information about the different kinds of tutors and tutoring programs, see From Poor to Soar: Finding the Help Your Child Needs

Tutoring program costs

• Cost is a consideration (and limitation) for both parents and schools choosing a tutoring program

• One-on-one tutoring is often expensive, but it can certainly be a good investment in a child's future

• Cost can be mitigated by smart use of resources– For example, have reading specialists or other experts

• Train the tutors• Plan the program• Supervise tutors' work

– This will save money over having experts work one-on-one with individual students

How parents can find out about local tutoring options

• There are a lot of choices, it can be overwhelming• Start by talking to the classroom teacher• Look for a program that can help with the child's

specific difficulty, Kingsbury for example• Consult the school principal, he or she can help

navigate the field– For example, the principal will know if the school

participates in a program that provides up to $2,000 worth of free tutoring if parents qualify for a reduced lunch

Seeking Help for a Struggling Reader: 8 Steps for Parents

Tutoring and children’s attitudes

• Literacy setbacks can affect a child’s emotional wellbeing• Children are smart, and they quickly sense when they are being

successful in school • If school becomes a place of anxiety and fear, then that's going to

affect – Their self-esteem– Their desire to go to school– Their desire to participate, raise their hand

• Reading success has strong effect on emotional development and wellbeing — everybody wants to be successful

• Tutoring can help address both literacy and emotional skills by: – Using games or things that a child is interested in to help them see

that they can be successful– Starting where a child is successful, and build on those successes

How teachers know which kids should get tutoring

• Assessment• Determine what progress children make in response

to instruction– Is instruction tailored to the child's specific level and

comprehensive (meeting the entire array of literacy needs)

– If so, and the child is still not making adequate progress, then the teacher should make arrangements to have additional instruction

• In a small group, or • One-on-one tutoring

Is elementary school too young

Absolutely not, because: • The "achievement gap" is best addressed early

– This gap — well-documented by researchers — is a disparity between the performance of groups of students, particularly between students of different socio-economic status

– Too often when a child from a low-income home comes to school as a kindergartener, they might be a few months behind their peers

• Children must learn the mechanics of reading early– Educators often say: from kindergarten through third grade,

you learn to read; but from fourth grade on, you read to learn – Learning to read gives children the capability that they need

to be successful

Parents, teachers, and tutors working together

• It's a critical dynamic• Generally, the initial request for tutoring comes from

the parent• Myth: parents shouldn't tell teacher that child is

receiving tutoring– Fact: most teachers can usually tell, and that's a good

thing• Tutoring is much more effective if everyone is

working on the same goal at the same time– Communication is essential to create this dynamic

• Parents, the tutor, and the teacher should talk on a regular basis and reaffirm that everyone is on the same page

Questions parents should ask

Start with the basics, because not all tutoring sessions are created equal

• What are the qualifications of the people who are doing the tutoring?

• Are they certified teachers? • What is the class size?

– Is it one-on-one? – Is it small group? – Is it a larger group session?

• Is there a curriculum that they follow?• As a parent, how often am I going to get progress reports?• How will I know how my child is doing?• Just how much tutoring is my child going to get?

– One hour a week? – More than that? – How many weeks?

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