August Tutor Newsletter

SAVE THE DATE!
Student and Tutor Recognition Event
In recognition of the LVGS students and tutors, this event will be held during Adult Education and Family Literacy Week on Monday, September 12, 2011 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM at St. Lucy’s Parish, 432 Gifford Street, Syracuse, NY 13204. Bring your student, your family, and a dish to pass to celebrate your success with a recognition event and potluck dinner. The LVGS student and tutor of the year will be announced. Mark your calendars you won’t want to miss it!

Don’t forget to complete your July tutor reflection report.
Take a few minutes and visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JulyTutorReport to complete your July report.

Featured Students
Each month LVGS will provide information on “featured” students. Featured students will be chosen based on time on the waiting list, location, and number of inquiries to the office about status of a tutor. Currently, LVGS has almost 100 students waiting for a tutor.

Fahima
Fahima is a higher level English language learner. She is from Afghanistan and would like help speaking and understanding conversational English. Fahima can speak Russian and Farsi and is a dedicated and fast learner. Fahima has been waiting for a tutor for over six months. Fahima has contacted the office each month checking her status on the waiting list. Fahima is available at the Soule Library any day after 3:00 PM.

Contact the office if you are interested in working with the featured student.

Student Opportunities & Resources
LVGS and White Library offer English conversation groups on Fridays at 10:30 AM. Classes are open enrollment and students can attend any session.

ESL classes are being offered through the Literacy Zone. Contact 435-6376 for more information.

OCM BOCES offers ESL classes at the DeWitt and Manlius libraries. Classes are open enrollment and students can attend any session. Contact 453-4967 for dates, times, and more information.

GED classes are being offered through the Syracuse Literacy Zones at the Beauchamp Library. For more information contact Jocelyn Bowen at 214-4248 or jbowen@scsd.us.

The July edition of The Literacy Tribune is online at www.theliteracytribune.org. Share it with your student! Also, please consider asking your learners to submit an article to the Tribune. Guest writers are most welcome! If you have any questions about articles to submit, please contact Daniel Pedroza at daniel@unitedliteracy.org

Summer Reading Challenge for Adults: Adults interested in sharing information about books they’ve enjoyed are invited to provide details about their reading selections in the library’s book review box. Enter as often as you like for a prize drawing at the end of the summer to help us create a community-generated recommended reading list. Location: White Library. Contact 435-3519 or http://www.onlib.org.

Do you or your student own a Smartphone? Download the Merriam-Webster dictionary to your phone.
In addition to all the definitions from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the app offers voice search – to let you look up a word without having to spell it – along with an integrated thesaurus, example sentences, Word of the Day, and more. This a great tool for reference, education, and vocabulary building. The app is free, and supported by ads.
Make sure to check your Smartphone for applications that can assist you and your student with your tutoring sessions. There are several free applications that provide literacy lesson plans, English translation, spelling games, and more.

Computer Classes
Individual instruction will be offered on Tuesdays and Fridays by appointment: August 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, and 30.
The classes are designed to help individuals who have little or no knowledge of computers or computer programs. The topics that will be covered are:
• Computer Basics: Learn the different parts of the computer and become familiar with the Windows operating system.
• Navigating the Web: How to navigate the World Wide Web, and Web safety.
• Introduction to Microsoft Word: Hands-on class teaching the basics of how to set up, write, and print a document.
• Email Basics: How to set up a free email account and how to receive email, open attachments, attach a document, sort email, and more.
Contact the Central Library at 435-1900 to register.

Jobseekers Meeting: No registration necessary. Just show up! Gather with other job hunters to help & support each other. A librarian will have materials available on many topics from resumes & interviewing to How to Hope. Baldwinsville Library 635-5631
http://www.bville.lib.ny.us

Tutor & Professional Development Opportunities:
ProLiteracy and World Education offer several free online trainings for professional development. Full course information is available at http://207.10.202.20/home.

ProLiteracy & the Verizon Foundation created a website of free resources for the literacy community. Resources include techniques & strategies, lesson plans, online courses, practice activities for students, and much more. Visit ProLiteracy Education Network (PEN) at http://www.proliteracyednet.org for more information.

Teacher/Tutor Numeracy: Websites arranged according to the topics suggested by "A Framework for Adult Numeracy Standards," based upon a study by the Adult Numeracy Network (ANN). In this study, instructors and learners identified the mathematical skills and abilities adults need to fulfill their life roles.

DeWitt Community Library Receives Adult Literacy Grant from Rotary Club of DeWitt
During your next visit to the DeWitt Community Library make sure to visit the adult literacy resource collection. The Rotary Club of DeWitt has awarded the DeWitt Community Library a grant to expand its collection of materials in the area of adult literacy and ESL. The $350 grant was used to purchase materials which teach basic language and vocabulary to adult learners with very limited English literacy and oral proficiency.

Don’t forget LVGS has a tutor blog. The blog contains information on current trainings, events, best practices, and opportunities. Make sure to check daily at http://lvgstutorblog.blogspot.com.

Upcoming In-service Opportunities for Tutors
August 17, 2011
11 AM – 1 PM
Topic: Preparing Your Student for the College Admission Process and Entrance Exams
Gabriela Lozanova will provide information about OCC entrance exams and the admission process for foreigners. She will also discuss the ESL programs offered at OCC.
Sam Rowser will discuss On Point for College and how it has helped over 2000 first-generation youth to get into college, stay there, and succeed afterwards.
Presenters: Gabriela Lozanova, Admissions Counselor, OCC, and Sam Rowser, Program Director, On Point for College
Location: Central Library, The Galleries of Syracuse, 447 S. Salina Street – 4th Floor
To register visit: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LVGSAugustInService

Saturday September 10, 17, & 24
Topic: What You Need to Know to Help Your Student Prepare for Citizenship
Presenters: Hope Wallis, Martha Bonney, Lora McCooey, Amy Thorna, and LVGS Staff
Location: Central Library, 447 S. Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13202 

Strategy of the Month:
August 2011
Hangman
Objective:
Hangman is a paper and pencil guessing game for two or more players. One player thinks of a word and the other tries to guess it by suggesting letters.

Materials:
• Pen/Pencil
• Paper
• Vocabulary List

Procedure:
This activity works best at the end of a session for vocabulary review.
• The word to guess is represented by a row of dashes, giving the number of letters.
• If the student suggests a letter that is in the word, the other player writes it in all its correct positions.
• If the suggested letter is not in the word, the tutor draws one element of the hangman diagram.

Alternative methods:
• Online hangman game – search the Internet for interactive games you can play together or the student can play alone.
• Have the student challenge the tutor using a word or words based on that week’s vocabulary list.
• Hangman is also available as a free Smartphone application