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How to Improve Reading Mentors' and Learners' Skills

We all use strategies every day. Budgeting the paycheck, mapping the best route to work, getting our kids to do what we want them to do. They're all strategies.

Successful tutoring is based on strategies—strategies to make you an effective reading mentor and strategies to make learners better readers.

How To Be a Better Reader

The strategies to make learners better readers have already been mapped out for you. They're the five steps that lie at the heart of the Time To Read program. You use them every time you pick up a magazine yourself, whether you're aware of it or not. You don't read every word, first page to last. You scan. You ask questions and make predictions. You relate what you're reading to what you know. You decide either to read on or to stop and choose another article. As you read, you're involved in an ongoing process of using strategies. The 5-Step Reading Process is a slowed down and explicit version of the strategies by which all good readers really read. Once you see the connection, it becomes much easier to pass the strategies on to your learners.

How to Be an Effective Reading Mentor
Now let's tackle the question of how you can be most effective in communicating those strategies to your learner. Two of the soundest strategies are modeling and empowerment.

Modeling is doing first yourself what you want your learner to do. Examples:

• If you want your learner to generate questions, demonstrate by posing questions you have. Describe what you're doing, then let the learner take a turn.
• When you're reading aloud, point out lapses in your attention and show what you do to refocus.
• Model rereading as a means of getting back on track when you're confused or lose the point. Stop as you're reading and say, "That didn't make sense to me." Then demonstrate how you reread to clarify your confusion. Or say, "I'm not sure I understand. I'll read a bit further and see if there's more information that will help me."

Empowerment is building your learner's confidence and ability to assume responsibility for his or her own learning. Here are some ways to implement this strategy:

• Give your learner control over deciding what article to read and when to stop reading and go on.
• Trade places and let your learner lead the session.
• Let your learner know you are learning from him or her. List things you've learned from him or her, and share those things in a special note or card.
• Acknowledge that you value your learner's questions and viewpoint by making comments such as "I'm glad you said what you said," or "You've raised an important question," or even "You're right. I'd never have thought of that."
• Point out to your learner his or her success and progress whenever possible.

Neither reading effectively nor tutoring effectively is a talent that some people are born with and others aren't. They are skills we develop. These strategies are simple, proven ways to help develop these skills. Take advantage of them.