Learning Outside the Lines: attend the free conference

Learning Outside the Lines:

Strategies for Parents, Teachers and Students
A Conference Featuring Jonathan Mooney

Jonathan Mooney is a dyslexic writer and activist who did not learn to read until he was 12 years old. He is a graduate of Brown University’s class of 2000 and holds an honors degree in English Literature. A winner of the prestigious Truman Scholarship for graduate studies in disability studies and social change, Jonathan was also a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. With the publication of Learning Outside The Lines (now in its 14th printing) when he was 23, Jonathan has established himself as one of the foremost leaders in LD/ADHD, disabilities,and alternative education. For more information about Johnathon Mooney

A variety of breakout sessions will also be offered for parents, educators, service providers, and people with learning disabilities.

March 5, 2010
South Towne Expo Center
Registration Available On-line @ www.ldau.org

Holiday Literacy Activities

Since many tutors and students won't be meeting regularly over the Holiday season, we have put together several literacy activity ideas for students to work on on their own if they have some free time. This way, students have the opportunity to continue developing their reading and writing skills even over a long break. Tying these activities into Christmas makes them all the more enjoyable and relevant to students.

So here is our list of activity ideas, which we will be updating periodically as we come up with more of them. Please feel free to post comments sharing your own ideas for holiday literacy activities with other tutors and students:

• Have your student write in a journal each day throughout the holidays, describing Christmas traditions and activities in which they are participating.
• Give your student a holiday book to read over the break.
  
• Give students a list of holiday vocabulary words and have them look one up each day.
• Have your student watch a holiday movie or play and then write a review about it as if they were a critic.
• Ask your student to look up Christmas jokes to share with you and have them be able to tell you what the jokes mean.
• Find Christmas story starters for your student so they can write a few Christmas stories of their own. http://www.abcteach.com/free/s/storystarters_christmas.pdf has some good story starters.
• Give your student a Christmas Crossword Puzzle or Word Search to do over the Holidays. http://holidays.kaboose.com/xmas-word.html is one website with such games.
• Students can make Christmas cards for their family and friends.
• Have your student look up information about a particular holiday tradition to learn more about it.
  
• Students can write letters to Santa (and practice addressing an envelope).
• Create a Christmas Mad Lib for your student.

Some websites with additional Christmas activities:
http://www.esl-galaxy.com/holiday.html
http://www.kented.org.uk/NGFL/festivals/xmas.htm#act

There are many more possible Christmas activities. Please post a comment with your ideas!

Short-Term Goals

I had an excellent question today from a tutor about setting short-term goals, so I thought (of course) that I'd blog about it. Long-term goals are important, obviously, but it's hard to stay motivated if you're reading at a second-grade level and you want to get a GED--it's going to be awhile. You need to make sure that you and your student are setting small, achievable goals so progress can be seen--this gives more opportunities for celebration!

A few goal setting tips:

1. Define your goal and write it dow. Be precise--make it measurable with dates, times, and amounts (e.g. learn 5 new vocabulary words before my tutoring session next Tuesday--know the definition, spelling, and one possible use of the word in context).

2. Set priorities--dont set so many goals that it is overwhelming.

3. Set goals your student has control over. Base the goal on personal performance, skills, or knowledge to be acquired. Gain information about your student before setting a goal--know what she or he is capable of doing. A goal can be as basic as learning the letter sounds. (Examples: learn the alphabet, learn 10 new vocabulary words, read 15 minutes/day, watch close-captioned TV).

4. Set goals for yourself as well. For example, if your student has a learning disability, set a goal to learn more about it. If your student is from another country, set a goal to learn a few traditions from that country.

When you achieve your goal, celebrate! Play games for an entire tutoring session. Go out for ice cream. Submit student achievements to be posted in the Project Read newsletter. Some of these things may be things you are already doing--so frame it as a goal and then celebrate!!!

Happy goal setting.