What if we scan and discuss and scan and discuss but don't find an article to read?
Consider all the real reading you've already done—captions, headlines, subheads, maps and graphs, first sentences and/or paragraphs. Remember, you're modeling the actions of a fluent reader. Do you always read the articles in a magazine fully, or do you scan and read just enough to give you the basics of what the article says?
Remember, the reader has real control in this learning process, and his or her choices are valued and followed.
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Do I correct mispronunciations?
If errors or mispronunciations do not affect comprehension, don't interrupt the reading flow to make corrections. Model the correct pronunciation when you read aloud or in discussion.
If the word is a name of a place or person and you're unsure of the pronunciation, listen for the name during the week and come back and tell your learner in the next session. This will let your learner know you're interested, and that you also are learning.
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Should I explain the meaning of unfamiliar words or insist that the learner look them up in the dictionary?
Don't interrupt the flow of reading to look up words in a dictionary. It's more important to concentrate on an overall understanding of content rather than to focus on words. Model what you do as a reader. More than likely, if you don't know the specific meaning of a word, you grasp a basic understanding from the context and then continue reading.
If a word is really important and cannot be understood through context, use the dictionary. Once again, this models what fluent readers do in real-life reading.
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What if we don't get to every step in the process?
The 5-Step Process is a framework, not a rigid structure. If it's difficult to get involved in any articles, use magazine or vocabulary activities to engage the learner. Activities provide the opportunity to develop reading, writing and thinking skills that can be used to build interest in the long-term goal of finding and reading articles of interest.
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What if we never find the right magazine article?
If you find that there never seems to be an article of interest to your learner, suggest an article of interest to you. Sometimes a reading mentor's enthusiasm for and knowledge of a subject excite the learner to read on. If that fails, consider a different type of magazine. Switch to Time For Kids with adolescents or People or Sports Illustrated with adults.
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How do I know if my learner is improving his or her reading skills? Is it important to know school test results?
Sometimes, reading-skill improvement can be so slow that you're not sure there has been any change from week to week. However, if you and your learner both keep a journal of your sessions, you'll be surprised by the success you'll see from month to month: improved vocabulary, greater and more varied interests, longer magazine reading times. The journal is tangible evidence of growth, which your learner can take pride in and, if he or she chooses, share with others, and it contributes to the development of greater self-confidence.
When working with adolescents or younger learners, whether or not the school reading scores demonstrate improvement is not as important as your learner's perception of his or her improved reading skills. Of course, improved reading scores are a great motivation for continued efforts in the tutoring sessions.
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I work with a group of learners, several of whom have short attention spans. I'm having a hard time keeping them interested. What do I do?
A few basic techniques bear repeating. Most important, keep activities varied and brief within each session. If a task runs longer, break it into smaller segments.
Make your sessions as actively engaging as possible. If someone is reading aloud, ask learners to close their eyes and visualize what they're hearing—or draw it on a piece of paper as they listen. Ask them to signal when they hear a new vocabulary word or the answer to a specific question you've posed. Make a particularly restless learner the scribe who records the group's questions.
Finally, be positive and patient. You'll ultimately do better in shaping behavior with praise than with criticism.
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My learner and I just don't seem to be communicating. I struggle to get any conversation going and at times wonder if he doesn't like me or something that I'm doing. What should I do?
Relax—you're probably not doing anything wrong. By nature, some people are not very talkative. Don't take their being quiet as a sign that they're uncomfortable or that you're doing something wrong. Consult with your site coordinator, and arrange to talk with someone who knows your learner—her teacher or guidance counselor, etc. This will give you a chance to find out how your learner behaves in other situations, as well as information about your learner's special interests and talents that will help you in establishing rapport and developing conversation. Many adolescents find it difficult to talk with adults but have no hesitation when it comes to talking with their peers. You may find that working with two learners rather than one-to-one will make discussion easier.
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My learner isn't interested in reading any of the magazines, but she wants to read a popular novel by Judy Blume. Should I go along?
Because Time To Read is a magazine-based reading program, our recommendation is to begin with magazine reading and let your learner know you'll save time for reading her book at the end of the session. Time spent working with the magazines and the 5-Step Reading Process increases your learner's knowledge base and should stimulate her interests. Make the reading of the novel an active reading experience by using some of the 5-Step Reading Process strategies. Talk about what's happening and how it makes you feel, share personal experiences that are in some way similar to those of the characters, and predict what you think will happen next. Be on the lookout for ways to make connections between the novel and current magazine articles: the locale of the novel; the hero's background and interests; the health, social, religious or psychological issues raised by the novel. All these can suggest a link to a magazine article you can return to.
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