Tutor Resource Guide I. Grade-by-Grade Learning Guide P.1 II. Reading & Math Resources P. 7 III. Behavior Management P. 15 Lincoln Park 2145 N. Halsted St. 312-854-2937 Logan Square 2236 N. Rockwell St. 312-854-2990 Near West Side 1628 W. Washington Blvd.312-809-5106 Tutoring Associate Board: TAB@tutoringchicago.org For more tutoring support and questions, contact your site manager or the main office at 312-397-9119
A Grade-by-Grade Learning Guide These grade-by-grade descriptions from first through sixth grade highlight what students should be learning as you help them through tutoring. GRADE 1 LANGUAGE ARTS MATH SOCIAL SKILLS TECHNOLOGY IDENTIFY LETTER NAMES WHEN PRESENTED REPRESENT AND SOLVE PROBLEMS INVOLVING IDENTIFY EMOTIONS (E.G., HAPPY, GENERATE A LIST OF KEY TECH WORDS PHONEMIC (LETTER SOUNDS) AWARENESS PHONICS: DECODING AND ENCODING (BREAKING DOWN WORDS INTO SOUNDS AND BUILDING WORDS) UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF THE SILENT E (LIKE) UNDERSTAND PARTS OF SPEECH AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE CAPITALIZATION AND PUNCTUATION SAYINGS AND PHRASES ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION UNDERSTAND AND APPLY PROPERTIES OF OPERATIONS (+ AND -, BIGGER AND SMALLER) AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION. ADD AND SUBTRACT WITHIN 20 WORK WITH ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION EQUATIONS EXTEND THE COUNTING SEQUENCE UNDERSTAND PLACE VALUE (ONES, TENS, HUNDREDS.) SURPRISED, SAD, ANGRY, PROUD, AFRAID) EXPRESSED IN FEELING FACES OR PHOTOGRAPHS. BE ABLE TO SEE THINGS FROM ANOTHER PERSON S POINT OF VIEW RELATE TO AND REPEAT EXPERIENCES IN GREATER DETAIL AND IN A LOGICAL WAY AFTER LISTENING PROBLEM-SOLVE DISAGREEMENTS IDENTIFY WAYS TO CALM HIM/HERSELF DESCRIBE A TIME HE/SHE FELT THE OR PHRASES USE WORD-PROCESSING PROGRAMS TO PRACTICE WRITING, EDITING, DESIGN, AND KEYBOARDING SKILLS. UNDERSTAND BASIC TECH TERMINOLOGY VISIT CERTAIN WEBSITES A PARENT OR TEACHER HAS BOOKMARKED USE BASIC DRAW AND PAINT SOFTWARE PROGRAMS LEARN FROM AN INTERACTIVE SUPPLIES A WORD TO COMPLETE A RHYME USE PLACE VALUE UNDERSTANDING AND SAME WAY A STORY CHARACTER FELT WHITEBOARD IDENTIFY WORDS MAKING UP A COMPOUND WORD READ BASIC SIGHT WORDS PROPERTIES OF OPERATIONS TO ADD AND SUBTRACT MEASUREMENT USING DIFFERENT UNITS (CM, IN.) SHARE FEELINGS (E.G., THROUGH SPEAKING, WRITING, DRAWING) IN A RANGE OF CONTEXTS 1
GRADE 2 LANGUAGE ARTS MATH SOCIAL SKILLS TECHNOLOGY PHONICS : DECODING AND ENCODING REPRESENT AND SOLVE PROBLEMS INVOLVING BEGIN TO REASON AND CONCENTRATE USE EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE THAT IDENTIFIY VOWEL SOUNDS WHEN PRESENTED ORALLY (A,E,I, O,U) ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION ADD AND SUBTRACT WITHIN 20 IMPROVE ABILITY TO PROCESS INFORMATION REINFORCES READING AND MATH SKILLS USE A DIGITAL CAMERA TO TAKE AND READ THREE-LETTER INITIAL BLENDS (STRAP) WORK WITH EQUAL GROUPS OF OBJECTS TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH A DISPLAY DIGITAL PHOTOS READ BASIC SIGHT WORDS READ THE SUFFIXES LY,FUL,Y,EN,IES,ISH READ WORDS CONTAINING THE SILENT L (TALK) GAIN FOUNDATIONS FOR MULTIPLICATION UNDERSTAND PLACE VALUE USE PLACE VALUE UNDERSTANDING AND PROPERTIES OF OPERATIONS TO ADD AND PARTNER OR SMALL GROUP UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG DESCRIBE HOW VARIOUS SITUATIONS UNDERSTAND INTERACTIVE STORY BOOKS ON A COMPUTER USE A COMPUTER TO ACCESS THE INTERNET RECOGNIZE ELEMENTS IN A STORY SUCH AS THE TITLE, SETTING, CHARACTER, PLOT, ETC. SUBTRACT MEASURE AND ESTIMATE LENGTHS IN MAKE HIM/HER FEEL DESCRIBE PHYSICAL RESPONSES TO USE OF EMAIL WITH SUPPORT FROM THE TEACHER OR CLASSROOM HELPER EVALUATE ACTIONS AND MOTIVATIONS OF CHARACTERS IN A STORY STANDARD UNITS RELATE ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION TO STRONG EMOTIONS RECOGNIZE THAT FEELINGS CHANGE LEARN FROM AN INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD RELATE DETAILS OF AN ORAL STORY IN A LENGTH THROUGHOUT THE DAY SEQUENCE WORK WITH TIME AND MONEY DEMONSTRATE PATIENCE IN A VARIETY INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY WRITING REPRESENT AND INTERPRET DATA (GRAPHS OF SITUATIONS WRITE A FRIENDLY LETTER IDENTIFY THE NUMBER OF SYLLABLES IN A WORD AND CHARTS.) COMPARE/CONTRAST SHAPES AND THEIR ATTRIBUTES PRACTICE DEEP BREATHING TO CALM DOWN USE A PICTURE AND CONTEXT CLUES TO TELL TIME DECODE UNFAMILIAR WORDS 2
GRADE 3 LANGUAGE ARTS MATH SOCIAL SKILLS TECHNOLOGY SPELLING, GRAMMAR, AND USAGE REPRESENT AND SOLVE PROBLEMS INVOLVING WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH OTHER USE EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE THAT READ WORDS WITH THE SILENT H (HOUR) READ WORDS WITH THE TION SOUNDING LIKE SHUN (NATION) CORRECTLY SEQUENCES EVENTS IN A STORY READ STATE THE ELEMENTS OF MATERIAL READ SUCH AS MAIN IDEA, SPECIFIC DETAILS, SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, CLIMAX OF THE STORY, STORY MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION UNDERSTAND PROPERTIES OF MULTIPLICATION AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION MULTIPLY AND DIVIDE WITHIN 100 SOLVE PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE FOUR OPERATIONS, AND IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN PATTERNS. CHILDREN IN SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE PROJECTS UNDERSTAND HOW CHOICES AFFECT CONSEQUENCES BECOME MORE ORGANIZED AND LOGICAL IN HIS/HER THINKING PROCESSES BUILD STRONGER FRIENDSHIPS REINFORCES READING AND MATH SKILLS USE AND LEARN FROM MULTIMEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND DICTIONARIES LEARN FROM INTERACTIVE STORY BOOKS ON A COMPUTER ONE COMPUTER OR MORE IN THE CLASSROOM WITH ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND A PRINTER CHARACTERS, AND AUTHOR FIND THE CAUSE OF AN EVENT IN A STORY USE CONTEXT TO FIND THE MEANING OF UNFAMILIAR WORDS IN A STORY WRITE A POEM WRITE OWN FEELINGS AND REACTIONS TO AN EVENT USE PLACE VALUE UNDERSTANDING AND PROPERTIES OF OPERATIONS TO PERFORM MULTI-DIGIT ARITHMETIC DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING OF FRACTIONS AS NUMBERS RECOGNIZE PERIMETER AND DISTINGUISH BETWEEN LINEAR AND AREA MEASURES UNDERSTAND SHAPES AND THEIR ATTRIBUTES BE MORE INFLUENCED BY PEER PRESSURE DEMONSTRATE WAYS TO DEAL WITH UPSETTING EMOTIONS (E.G., SADNESS, ANGER, DISAPPOINTMENT) LIST POSITIVE STRATEGIES FOR HANDLING CONFLICT DEMONSTRATE AN AWARENESS OF USE OF EMAIL WITH SUPPORT FROM THE TEACHER OR CLASSROOM HELPER UNDERSTAND THE NAMES OF COMPUTER PARTS MONITOR, KEYBOARD, MOUSE, PRINTER, AND SPEAKERS AND SOFTWARE TERMS MENU, FILE, FOLDER, APPLICATION, SAVE, AND QUIT IDENTIFY AND CORRECT INCOMPLETE SENTENCES TELL TIME HOW ONE S BEHAVIOR AFFECTS OTHERS. USE CORRECT PUNCTUATION 3
GRADE 4 LANGUAGE ARTS MATH SOCIAL SKILLS TECHNOLOGY READ WORDS CONTAINING THE SUFFIXES OF USE THE FOUR OPERATIONS WITH WHOLE BEGIN TO MAKE MORE DECISIONS AND UNDERSTAND COMPUTER DEVICE MENT,-ABLE,-AL,-ENCE,-IBLE, -IVE, -SHIP NUMBERS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. ENGAGE IN GROUP DECISION-MAKING BASICS (TURN POWER ON AND OFF, DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM INFORMATIVE MATERIAL READ USE CONTEXT TO GATHER THE MEANING OF AN UNFAMILIAR QUESTIONS ON FACTUAL DETAILS OF A STORY READ MAKE PREDICTIONS ABOUT POSSIBLE ENDINGS OF A STORY READ WRITE IN PARAGRAPH FORM ADDS DETAILS OR SENTENCES TO CLARIFY THE MEANING WHEN EDITING WRITTEN WORK DELETE DETAILS OR SENTENCES THAT DO NOT ADD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOPIC WHEN EDITING WRITTEN WORK RECOGNIZE AND CORRECT INAPPROPRIATE FRAGMENTS, RUN-ON SENTENCES, AND SHIFTS IN VERB TENSE WHEN EDITING WRITTEN WORK WRITE A SHORT STORY GAIN FAMILIARITY WITH FACTORS AND MULTIPLES GENERATE AND ANALYZE PATTERNS GENERALIZE PLACE VALUE UNDERSTANDING FOR MULTI-DIGIT WHOLE NUMBERS USE PLACE VALUE UNDERSTANDING AND PROPERTIES OF OPERATIONS TO PERFORM MULTI-DIGIT EXTEND UNDERSTANDING OF FRACTION EQUIVALENCE AND ORDERING UNDERSTAND DECIMAL NOTATION FOR FRACTIONS, AND COMPARE DECIMAL FRACTIONS SOLVE PROBLEMS INVOLVING MEASUREMENT AND CONVERSION OF MEASUREMENTS FROM A LARGER UNIT TO A SMALLER UNIT WANT TO BE PART OF A GROUP THINK INDEPENDENTLY AND CRITICALLY HAVE EMPATHY SHOW A STRONG SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY HAVE A GREATER AWARENESS OF FAIRNESS DISCUSS & DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS ABOUT SCHOOL THAT IS CHALLENGING FOR THEM. DEMONSTRATE WAYS TO ASK FOR HELP WHEN NEEDED ADJUST VOLUME, SELECT APPROPRIATE WI-FI NETWORK, LOG IN TO A SCHOOL E-MAIL ACCOUNT, PLUG IN HEADPHONES, TAKE A PICTURE, TAKE A VIDEO, BOOKMARK A WEBSITE AND ADD A SHORTCUT TO THE HOME SCREEN, TAKE A SCREENSHOT AND ACCESS PHOTOS AND VIDEOS USE SOFTWARE, SUCH AS POWERPOINT, KEYNOTE, PAGES, IPHOTO, AND APPLEWORKS, TO ADD TO A CLASS BOOK OR PRESENTATION DEVELOP CRITICAL EVALUATION SKILLS BY ASSESSING THE CREDIBILITY OF WEBSITES AND LEARNING ABOUT COPYRIGHT LAWS AND THE ETHICS OF USING ONLINE INFORMATION OR PICTURES UNDERSTAND INTERNET SEARCH STRATEGIES AND HOW TO USE SEARCH ENGINES TO DO RESEARCH 4
GRADE 5 LANGUAGE ARTS MATH SOCIAL SKILLS TECHNOLOGY READ WORDS CONTAINING THE SUFFIXES WRITE AND INTERPRET EXPRESSIONS BE GENERALLY TRUTHFUL AND USE MULTIMEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND ANCE,-ITY,-IZE READ WORDS CONTAINING THE PREFIXES ANTI,RE,SEMI,PRE PREDICT CONCLUSIONS OF STORIES AFTER READING INITIAL SECTIONS READ WITH EXPRESSION, RECOGNIZING PUNCTUATION DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM INFORMATIVE MATERIAL READ ANSWER QUESTIONS ON FACTUAL DETAIL OF A STORY READ WRITE IN PARAGRAPH FORM ANALYZE PATTERNS AND RELATIONSHIPS UNDERSTAND THE PLACE VALUE SYSTEM. PERFORM OPERATIONS WITH MULTI-DIGIT WHOLE NUMBERS AND WITH DECIMALS TO HUNDREDTHS USE EQUIVALENT FRACTIONS AS A STRATEGY TO ADD AND SUBTRACT FRACTIONS APPLY AND EXTEND PREVIOUS UNDERSTANDINGS OF MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION TO MULTIPLY AND DIVIDE FRACTIONS CONVERT LIKE MEASUREMENT UNITS WITHIN A GIVEN MEASUREMENT SYSTEM DEPENDABLE DEVELOP INCREASING INDEPENDENCE IMPROVE SELF-AWARENESS OF EMOTIONS, STRENGTHS & CHALLENGES, RELATIONSHIPS, DECISION MAKING AND AD DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS ACQUIRE INCREASINGLY ADVANCED LISTENING AND RESPONDING SKILLS, SUCH AS RESPONDING TO PEERS COMMENTS AND OPINIONS ENJOY ORGANIZING AND CLASSIFYING OBJECTS AND IDEAS DICTIONARIES IN AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM KNOW THE NAMES OF COMPUTER PARTS MONITOR, KEYBOARD, MOUSE, PRINTER, AND SPEAKERS AND SOFTWARE TERMS MENU, FILE, FOLDER, APPLICATION, SAVE, AND QUIT. DEMONSTRATE ADVANCED KEYBOARDING SKILLS SUCH AS CUTTING, COPYING, AND PASTING TO EDITING USE EMAIL TO CONTACT A PEER, FRIEND OR TEACHERS CONTRIBUTE TO A DATABASE OR SPREADSHEET FOR CLASS ADD DETAILS OR SENTENCES TO CLARIFY MEANING WHEN EDITING WRITTEN WORK REPRESENT AND INTERPRET DATA (GRAPHS AND CHARTS.) DEVELOP FRIENDSHIP AND ACADEMIC GOALS RECOGNIZE AND CORRECTS INAPPROPRIATE GEOMETRIC MEASUREMENT: UNDERSTAND FRAGMENTS, RUN-ON SENTENCES CONCEPTS OR VOLUME AND RELATE VOLUME WRITE A BRIEF REPORT ON A SUBJECT-RELATED TO MULTIPLICATION AND TO ADDITION. TOPIC (SUCH AS A SOCIAL STUDIES REPORT ON GRAPH POINTS ON THE COORDINATE A HISTORICAL FIGURE) 5
GRADE 6 LANGUAGE ARTS MATH SOCIAL SKILLS TECHNOLOGY PREDICT CONCLUSIONS OF STORIES AFTER UNDERSTAND RATIO CONCEPTS AND USE RATIO SET GOALS TO IMPROVE ASPECTS OF CREATE AND PRESET MULTIMEDIA READING INITIAL SECTIONS REASONING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS ACADEMIC OR PERSONAL PRESENTATIONS READ WITH EXPRESSION, RECOGNIZING PUNCTUATION DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM INFORMATIVE MATERIAL READ ANSWER QUESTIONS ON FACTUAL DETAILS OF A STORY READ SELECT DETAILS TO SUPPORT AND INTERPRETATION MADE IN A STORY APPLY AND EXTENDS PREVIOUS UNDERSTANDINGS OF MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION TO DIVIDE FRACTIONS BY FRACTIONS REASON ABOUT AND SOLVE ONE-VARIABLE EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES REPRESENT AND ANALYZE QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES PERFORMANCE EXPRESSES PROBLEMS / CONCERNS MORE DIRECTLY WITHOUT THE HELP OF PARENT TEACHER USE EMPATHY TO BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY IN A VARIETY OF SOCIAL SETTINGS STANDS UP FOR A FRIEND CONDUCT AN APPROPRIATE INTERNET SEARCH USE OF EMAIL WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM THE TEACHER OR CLASSROOM HELPER LOCATE AND EVALUATE RESOURCES USING ELECTRONIC AND ONLINE SEQUENCE EVENTS IN A STORY READ IDENTIFY THE REASON FOR A CHARACTER S ACTIONS WRITE IN PARAGRAPH FORM SOLVE REAL-WORLD AND MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING AREA, SURFACE AREA, AND VOLUME DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING OF STATISTICAL VARIABILITY TAKE ON GREATER RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS/HER BEHAVIOR AND DECISIONS CONTROL EMOTIONS AND BEHAVIORS TO ACHIEVE GOALS FORMATS UNDERSTAND HOW MULTITASKING WITH TECHNOLOGY (PHONE, ETC.) CAN BENEFIT AND DISTRACT FROM THEIR LEARNING. DELETE DETAILS OR SENTENCES THAT DO NOT ADD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOPIC SUMMARIZE AND DESCRIBE DISTRIBUTIONS (PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS.) MAKES RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS WHEN EDITING WRITTEN WORK RECOGNIZE AND CORRECT INAPPROPRIATE FRAGMENTS, RUN-ON SENTENCES, AND SHIFTS IN VERB TENSE WHEN EDITING WRITTEN WORK WRITE A FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY 6
Reading and Math Resources Comprehension Questions Before Reading 1. What do you think this book is going to be about? Why do you think that? 2. What words do you think are going to be in this book? 3. Do you have any questions about this book before we start reading? 4. Why do you think the author would write this book? 5. Do you think this story is real or make-believe? Why do you think that? 6. Why do you want to read this book? During Reading 1. What do you think will happen next? Why do you think that? 2. What are the characters doing? 3. Do you like the characters in the story? Why or why not? 4. What do you notice in this book? 5. What will happen at the end of this book? 6. What is the problem in this book? 7. What questions do you have for the characters or the author of this book? 1. What was this book about? 2. Did you like this book, why or why not? 3. What did you notice while reading? After Reading 7
4. What does this book remind you of? 5. Why do you think the author wrote this book? 6. If this book continued, what do you think would happen next? 7. What would you change about this book? 8. How did this book make you feel? 9. What was the author trying to teach you in this book? 10. Who was your favorite character? Why? 11. Did any of the characters change from the beginning to the end? 12. What was the most important part of the book? 13. If you could give this book a different title, what would it be? 8
Fiction Questions 1. What character do you like the most in your book and why? 2. What do you predict will happen next in this story? What information in the text helped you make that prediction? 3. What is the main problem of the story? If you know, how was the problem solved? 4. Would you like to be a character in this story? Why or why not? 5. How do you feel about this story? Would you recommend it to someone else? Why or why not? 6. Summarize what you read today. What were the most important events? Did you learn anything new about the characters? 7. Is what you read believable? Why or why not? 8. Pretend you are interviewing the main character of the story. What two questions would you ask them? 9. If you could trade places with one of the characters, who would it be? Why? 10. Is there anything you would change about this story? What would it be? Why would you change it? Non Fiction Questions 1. What is the selection you read mainly about? 2. What did you learn while reading? 3. Why did the author probably write this selection? How do you know? 4. What was the main idea of what you read? What were the supporting details that told you more about the main idea? 5. How and where could you find out more information about the topic read about today? 6. What else would you like to know about the topic you read about? 7. What did you find interesting about this selection? 8. What do you remember most about the selection you read? 9. Did you find an interesting word in this selection? What was it? Use a dictionary to find out its meaning and write a sentence of your own using that word. 10. Would you like to find another selection that is similar to this one? If so, check the resource room library or take a trip to your local library and look at their selection on the topic! 9
Writing Prompts 1. This book was about 2. I liked this book because 3. I didn t like this book because 4. From this book, I learned 5. My favorite part about this book was 6. My favorite character was because 7. If this book continued, I think 8. This story reminds me of 9. I think the author should change 10. I was really surprised when 11. This book made me feel 12. The most important part of this book was 13. After reading this book, I wonder 14. This book helped me 15. If I were (a character in the story), I would 16. I think the author wanted me to 17. After reading this book, I want to learn more about 18. The problem in this story was 19. While reading this book, I noticed 20. I would like to be (character in the story) because 10
Tutoring Tips for Math Counters Learn how to use counters (manipulatives, objects) to help with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Having a tangible object often helps children understand math better. Fact Families What is a Fact Family? Three numbers that go together in addition/subtraction or multiplication/division are a Fact Family. For instance, 2, 3 and 6 2x3=6, 3x2=6, 6/3=2, 6/2=3. Triangle flashcards are helpful when learning any of the basic math facts. We even have large sized dry erase triangle flashcards. 100 Chart and 200 Chart Students use 100 and 200 charts to add, subtract, find patterns, and to skip count. These are very useful in basic knowledge of counting and number sense. Deck of Cards - What can you do with a deck of cards? Play Top-it! the modern day version of War. You can also add or multiply two or more cards or subtract/divide using two cards. Card games are a useful learning tool in a fun way about numbers without realizing they are learning. Multiplication Tables Use these to help with multiplication and division facts. Once students master their multiplication and division facts, they have the skills and confidence that will help them with more difficult math problems. Base Ten Blocks Base ten blocks can be used for numerical representations, counting, addition, subtraction and place value. The largest block (10x10) represents 100, the long strip of 10 represents 10, and each single block (cube) represents 1. If you were to represent 112, you would use one block of 100, 1 block of 10 and 2 individual blocks. Representing a number using this math manipulative helps children to visually see a number and understand place value. Lattice Method of Multiplication This is a new method of multiplying 2 digit (or more) by 2 digit (or more) using a grid. Many of your students are learning multiplication using this method instead of the traditional way. Please see the attached instructions. 11
9 s and 11 s Multiplication Trick When doing multiplication involving the number 9, hold up both hands and put down the finger corresponding the number you are multiplying 9 by. For example, if you are multiplying 9 x 2, you would put the fourth finger on your left hand down. You should be left with the pinky finger on your left hand up and 8 fingers to the right of it. This represents 18 your answer. You many use this trick for 9 multiplied by the number 10 or less. Another trick for 9s is to multiply the number by 10 and then subtract that number. For example, 9x6=54. You could solve this by saying 10x6=60, 60-6=54. The 11 s trick is any number less than or equal to 9, when multiplied by 11, is that number doubled. For example: 11x2=22, 11x3=33, etc. Word Problems Most students are not only learning basic math skills, but how to apply them in their daily life. Word problems are used in all grade levels and range in difficulty and complexity and many students struggle with this skill. Site managers will provide word problem worksheets on the resource carts and encourage tutors to practice writing and reading word problems with their students. One way to practice this skill is take a math problem you have completed and write a word problem that applies to it. 12
Tutoring Chicago Technology Resources Here are some skills by grade level that I aim to have my students obtain. Each skill is rated per grade as either an Introductory (I), Developing (D) or Applied (A) Skill. Skill K 1 2 3 4 5 6 Log into a computer using a one-word single sign-on A Log into a computer using your own personal account I A A A A A A Log into web-based tool accounts I D A A A A A Find keys on the keyboard to construct sentences and type your I D A A A A A name Know how to make a capital letter using Shift I D A A A A A Type using two hands I D D D A A A Type at least 15 WPM I D A A A Type at least 20 WPM I D A A Type at least 25 WPM D D A Know some basic keyboard shortcuts I D D D D A A Know how to copy/paste I D D A A Save a file I D D A A A A Open a file I D A A A A A Understand file paths I D D D A A A Locate files and navigate file paths independently I I D D A A A Know how to organize files I I I I D D A Navigate a browser (back, forward buttons and tab) I D A A A A A Know how to evaluate websites for accuracy and relevance I I I D D A A Know how to leave a useful comment for a peer I I D A A A A Practice good netiquette when commenting I I D D A A A Know how to use tools like Edmodo or Schoology to discuss, share D D A and blog about course content Collaborate with peers on digital projects I I I D D D A Begin to look for solutions to real-world problems through the lens of I I I D D D D technology Know a system for bookmarking/saving sites I D D A Be familiar with basic menus within applications I D D D A A A Independently use a drawing program (like TuxPaint) I D D A A A A Complete graphic organizers using software like Kidspiration I D D A A A A Take and edit photos using PhotoBooth or Picnik I D D D A A A 13
Insert photos into projects I D D A A A A Download and upload photos I D D D A A A Create and edit video I I D D D D D Be able to synthesize information from one place to another (i.e. I I D D D A A graphic organizer to comic, web information into graphic organizer) Compose short stories using a web-based tool like Storybird I D D D A A A Compose and format longer stories using Word Processing software I I D D D A A Create basic presentations using tools like PowerPoint I I D D D A A Have a basic understanding of programming through programs like I D D Scratch Be able to show what you know through a variety of tools I D D A Know how to build a website or wiki, including images, citations and I D A video Write and maintain a personal blog I D D D A Know vocabulary like Desktop, monitor, CPU, mouse, keyboard, I D A A A A A application, program, browser Have a basic understanding of copyright I D D D D A A Understand and follow copyright rules and guidelines I D D D D D A Cite sources I D D A Know what kinds of information you should/shouldn't share online I D D D A A A Know how to handle cyberbullies I D D D D A A Know how to configure privacy settings I D D Technology Related Resource Websites Khanacademy.com Edutopia.org Discoveryeducation.com Diigo.com Typingweb.com ReadingA-Z.com Storybird.com Picnik.com Inspiration.com/kidspiration Tuxpaint.org learninggamesforkids.com 14
Behavior Management Most tutoring sessions will go smoothly, but there will be times when the behavior of a student gets in the way of his/her academic success. One of these common challenges can be the behavior of students some may be dominating, some may be appear disinterested and do not participate. Setting a nightly tutoring agenda will help you avoid potential problems and set a positive tone for the evening. Some students may talk to you about personal problems at home or school. Listen to their problems and deal with academic matters which fall within your expertise, but speak with your site manager right away if you think additional help is needed. Tips for Handling Difficult Behaviors and Anxiety in Students Behaviors Anxiety Try to establish causes of certain behaviors. Remove any stimuli that may be reinforcing bad behavior. Develop good working relationships with the student. Use points to motivate students. Praise and reward students when they do the right thing. Consistently display and model a positive attitude when around the student. Show belief in the student s abilities. Stay calm. Explain to students the reasons behind why they can t behave in certain ways. If a student has a tantrum or displays aggressive behavior, talk to the student after he/she calms down about how to better handle it next time. Try to teach the student to understand other s feelings. Remind the student of their successful accomplishments to build self-esteem and reduce anxiety. Use relaxation techniques, such as breathing, counting to ten (backwards), or imagining a relaxing place. Break down activities into many small steps, so the task isn t so daunting. Let the student know that you are there with them, and you will work through problems together. Help the student to interact with peers. Reward the student s efforts. Additional Approaches for Challenging Situations Challenge / Difficulty Resistance A student who displays passivity, boredom, hostility or sullenness and who is defensive or easily triggered by anger. Approach Be pragmatic: Look, I know you don t like this subject, but your teacher requires it, so let s make the best of it. Establish your credibility as a tutor 15
Silence A student who remains unresponsive to several tactics trying to engage them in conversation. Non-Listening A student who is not listening to you and/or not participating in the current discussion. Distracted A student who has a challenging time staying focused on the task at hand. Passivity A student who rarely answers or asks questions, doesn t participate in discussions and isn t engaged in learning. Indicate past successes in similar situations Ask what s going on why are you so quiet? Make a clear statement about what you want from your student. Use methods/words such as think, and share to try and get a discussion going. Try to draw the student out by picking up on something relevant to him/her and the topic for discussion e.g., You ve had experience as a new student Juan, haven t you? So how do you think Emily felt when she entered her new school for the first time? Ask student to paraphrase directions Use a listening exercise e.g., have the student paraphrase what you or another student just said. Keep the student s back to the room/door and have the tutor face the room Make sure student is sitting away from other students, toys, games, materials, etc. Try changing your location to someplace less familiar, where there are fewer potential distractions in the environment. keeping a tight agenda with frequent changes (like every 5-10 minutes) Take short breaks after completing each assignment (getting up to walk around, refill your water bottle, use the bathroom, etc.) Determine why he/she isn t interacting. Is the task beyond their capabilities? Is he experiencing personal problems? Do you need more engaging activities? Ask that student to check out a point in the discussion and report on it next session. Try to engage them in activities within a small group situation. If a student is asked to participate in a discussion with other students, it becomes harder for them to avoid participation. TC has many materials that engage students with different interests. 16
Dependency A student who needs extra support to achieve independence. Students may require carefully structured and specific steps to complete a set task. As the student becomes more independent in the learning process, they will feel less reliant on you to provide the structure for their learning. Tutors should work at establishing self-confidence in how the student will understand and meet the expectations at task. Anger A student who displays hostility or sullenness and who is defensive or easily triggered. Disruptiveness A student who interferes with his/her learning process or the profess of others around them. Confrontation A student who acts in a confrontational manner during tutoring and who tests the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Give them to power to choose the activity or switch off (I ll choose the first and you can choose the next activity). Discuss their work with them and compliment them on their accomplishments. Steer them to consider how they might approach the next task. Gradually lessen your involvement in setting the steps of how the student will operate. Guide students to where they will be able to find answers without your help when you re not present. Listen to what they have to say. Give him/her your full attention and stay silent. Once they are done, wait a few seconds and summarize your understanding of what was said. Acknowledge their feelings and point of view. Apologize If applicable What like me to do? Get a plan of action and follow up on this. Most importantly, do not take anger personally. Try using silence to direct the student s attention to you and to the situation. Politely ask for his/her cooperation, and use the ground- rules set up by you and the student as a way to direct your request. Let the student know you would like to speak with him/her after tutoring (with a site manager) to discuss his/her behavior. Most students do not want to stay after tutoring, so they will quickly refocus on the task at hand. Remove the student from the situation by taking a walk or refilling a water bottle to try and reset the lesson. Deal with the behavior calmly and professionally; do not embarrass students in front of their peers as this can escalate the problem. Listen to the student and address concerns but be firm in stating that you cannot continue discussing this in front of other students. 17
Unpreparedness A student who continuously forgets his/her homework or backpack. Explain why you are finding their behavior disruptive and the negative effect it is having on other students learning and time. Be factual and objective. Try to find out why the student is behaving in this manner. Reiterate your expectations of behavior and ask the student why he/she is not able to meet these standards. Make a direct appeal to the student s sense of fairness to the other students and to yourself. If consistent inappropriate behavior continues, talk to your site manager immediately. Establish the level of preparation you expect for each tutoring session. It is more likely that students will respond to this expectation. Use points to motivate a prepared student. Connect with the students parent to reiterate the importance of the tutoring time. TC has many options for school supplies that we can offer the child to help get organized (folders, binders, etc.) Take a free copy of TC s assignment notebook and plan out each tutoring session. 18