Advice for Reading Tutors

Tips for Tutors

Advice for First-Time Tutors

Literacy consultant Cathy Puett Miller helps you get started

More suggestions for effective tutoring

A Toolbox of Terms for Volunteer Tutoring

Cathy Puett Miller explains the terms used in reading instruction.

In Their Own Words: The Language Experience Approach

An Approach to Reaching Reluctant or Struggling Readers

Annie, The Sleeping Beauty: How I Taught Her to Read

by Jean Katzenberg

For Professionals: Principles and Practices of Language Experience

by Ronald L. Cramer, Ph.D

Classroom Letter and Language Activities from Dr. Jean Feldman

       Add an Ending
       Alphabet Chant
       Cut-Apart Chart
       High-Frequency Word Activities
       Language Experience Chart
       Letter Chart
       Locomotion Letters

Oral Language Circle Time Activities

"Mystery Person" -- A Language Experience Approach Extension

Participation Stories
Phonercise

       Singing the ABCs -- Creative Variations
       Toss A Sound -- Teaching Letter Sounds with Fun and Exercise
       Walk-About Story -- Incorporating Movement with Reading

Talking About Books With Your Students

Why is it important to talk about the books you read together?

Telling Students to "Sound It Out"

Does saying "Just Sound it Out!" really work? We present some alternatives.

The Great Phonics Debate

Which approach is best for your student?

The Road to Literacy: Teacher/Musician Greg Whitfield on the importance of teaching letter sounds.

Readers' Theater

Children love this activity--and so will literacy tutors.

Word Families

Word Families: A Great Way to "Crack the Code."

The 37 most common word families and how they can be used.

For professionals: More thoughts on phonograms.

Working and Playing with Words

Introduction to Word Activities

Favorite Word Activities from Cathy Puett Miller

Word Activities from Speech Teach

Word Study Lessons from Words Their Way

High-Frequency Sight Words

The Fry List, Instant Words, Dolch Words, and Word Wall Words

Practice with Abstract Sight Words

More on Practice with Sight Words

Betsy B. Lee on the Teaching of Dolch Words

Dolch's List of Basic Sight Words

Using Music to Promote Reading Skills

From our partner site, Songs for Teaching

Picture-Song Storybooks
by Regina Newlin

Teaching Children to Listen for Initial Letter Sounds
by Jim Gill

Using Music to Build Phonemic Awareness

by Laura Woodall and Brenda Ziembroski

Literacy Begins at Home

A letter that tutors may reproduce and distribute to parents.

Suggested Reading

Books on a Budget

How you can acquire books at minimal cost.

Books for Your Earliest Readers

These books will get your beginning students off to a positive start.

Great Books for Teaching Students to Read

See why Ruth recommends using "Readers" for all ages.

Books your students will enjoy

See our recommendations and links to useful book lists.

References for Volunteer Tutors and Literacy Program Directors

Books and websites that will benefit any literacy program.