Literacy Library: Tutor Tools & Resources
AACLC Teaching Resources
Personal Goals and Achievements Feb 2016 (.pdf version) – Help your student identify his/her goals.
Personal Goals and Achievements in Spanish Feb 2016 (.pdf version) – en Espanol!
Success Stories About Adult Learners – Click on the links to stories about real students and tutors, past and present.
Session Planner – A blank template to help you plan your tutoring sessions can be found in both MS Word and .pdf formats. Select the one that works best for you.
Comprehension
- News In Levels – Interesting newspaper articles with audio-video clips: includes 3 levels of difficulty, grammar, quizzes, and email access.
- Reading Comprehension discussion
- Think Aloud Comprehension Strategies Steps
- Target the Problem – using the Reading Rockets tool to understand and pinpoint the difficulties your student may be experiencing while reading.
- Laubach Assessment Guide – for Tutors
- Improve Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Math, Science, and Finances on TV411.org. Leer en Espanol!
- OM Audio – Listening comprehension in three levels of difficulty – written in English/Spanish.
- Dyslexia Help – Support students with dyslexia: tips, tricks, and tech for teachers.
- Cool Cat Teacher -Top 10 tips to increase reading comprehension and encourage metacognition for students.
- LiteracyWorks Projects– Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) website has news and projects to help promote adult literacy.
- Interactive Learning Games – Hundreds of games and more in all academic subjects! This website includes Music, Typing, and Teacher Tools!
Laubach Way to Reading Checkups-
- LWR Book 1 Checkup – Student review worksheets
- LWR Book 2 Checkup
- LWR Book 3 Checkup
- LWR Book 4 Checkup
- Diploma – To certify student has completed a work-book.
Phonics
- Phonics for Adults –Phonics is the basis of reading and writing. This site explains why and addresses how to work with adults who struggle with literacy.
Math and Crossword Puzzles, etc.
- Math Word Problem Strategies – 3 Strategies to Conquer Math Word Problems.
- Khan Academy.org – Learn basic arithmetic to college-level Math skills.
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Dad’s Worksheets — printable worksheets, online calculators, games, puzzles, and tools such as timer and converter.link is: https://www.
dadsworksheets.com/ - Crossword Puzzlemaker – Online crossword puzzle site allows you to create puzzles in 6 levels, and it’s very easy to use!
- Discovery Education PuzzleMaker – Create different types of word and math puzzles, cryptograms and mazes on this site.
- Dictionary.com Games– The Games tab has crossword, math and other word puzzles.
- Grey Campus/ Home-School English Games. There are a variety of web-links to punctuation, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and puzzle games, etc.
- GCF Learn Free.org – a (Goodwill Community Foundation)- is user-friendly for self-paced learning modules on computer skills, basic literacy, ESL, Math and money, and more.
ELL Pronunciation Tools
- Pronunciation Workshop: Training the world in Spoken English
- Master Spoken English: Practical Intensive Speech Training
- Accent Reduction: Speaking Your Best
- English Central: Learn English with the world’s best videos.
- American Pronunciation Coach – Specializing in American English pronunciation, accent reduction, and fluent speaking.
- GCF Latino.org is the ESL version of the GoodWill Community Foundation for self-paced learning modules on computer skills, basic literacy, ESL, Math, and more.
- Daily ESL Conversation Starters – A variety of topics.
- Manythings.org – A fun study site for ESL and ALL learners.
ELL Resources
- Citizenship Resource Center – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
- USCIS free app to help students prepare for the citizenship test. The “Civics Test Study Tool” is available on the Apple App Store & on Google Play.
- Life in the USA – Information about U.S. history, culture, economy, educational system, political processes, and more for immigrants and American citizens.
- MES English – ESL games, worksheets, & phonics flashcards.
- Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab
- ESOL materials, all free: https://www.esolcourses.com/
- Games to learn English (requires a computer or tablet): https://www.vocabulary.co.il/
- Comprehensive directory of EdD programs in TESOL and bilingual education:
https://www.eddprograms.org/schools/tesol-bilingual- education/
GED Practice
- Midkent College – Have you given any thought to the importance of using English and Math for your family, career, and future?
- Visit Khan Academy.org to work on skills in many subjects. Tutors can link with their learners (through G-mail) to see what has been mastered and what the learner is “stuck” on.
- GED Online Videos – Video discussion strategies about how to successfully pass the GED exam in all subject areas. A positive reinforcing study guide from the State of Missouri Adult Education and Literacy!
- This WORD LIST provides the meaning of 14 prefixes and root words that will enable students to understand over 14,000 words in English!! A great vocabulary builder for the GED and other exams!
- New Readers Press.com has a large, downloadable selection of free GED prep materials available.
- California Distance Learning Project for Adult Learning – Adult learning activities that build reading and writing skills through stories on a variety of topics (e.g. working, family, housing, etc.).
- GED Teaching Resources. On this page,
a. Tutors can get a good overview of the four parts of the GED test in the ‘Educator Handbook’.
b. Critical thinking skills required to pass the test are in the ‘High Impact Indicators’ section.
c. The ‘Assessment Guide’ for each subject has an excellent overview of each test including format of questions and formula sheets.
d. Link to Study Guides for all four subjects
e. Tools for the extended response in the Language Arts test
f. The tab ‘Top Resources’ in the left hand column of this page lists good resources for GED tutors including webinars, computer-based test and calculator tutorial! - GED test accommodations
There is a section for ADHD for requirements to apply for the accommodation. This page also gives information on how to apply for this as well as appeal if a case is rejected. The updated GED website is pretty good.There is also an email for queries regarding testing accommodations:accommodations@ged.com!Tutors, we also have codes for free GEDReady tests that we will be happy to share with you, which is thanks to grants that Lisa got for us! CLICK HERE to email Dr. Perinaaz Gandhi, our GED coordinator to find out how to get these.
Vocabulary, Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling and Writing
- BBC Skillswise Literacy– The BBC website for adults has video links to English, Math, Spelling, Writing, Grammar, Short Books, Job Skills, Computer and Internet basics, News, and more!!! Adult-friendly.
- News In Levels – Interesting newspaper articles with audio-video clips: includes 3 levels of difficulty, grammar, quizzes, and email access.
- Using English.com– ESL quizzes, and language tests, etc.
- English Learning Resource Guide – Vocabulary, punctuation & grammar, spelling, and links to other resources.
- Vocabulary can be fun! – Games for vocabulary, spelling, phonics, hangman, quizzes, match games, and word jumbles from kindergarten to 12th-grade levels.
- Grammar-Quizzes.com– Explanations for the tutor and advanced student.
- Create a vocabulary test in multiple languages via Vocabulary training exercises.
- Helping your students write a good story by Dixie Catlett.
- The Story Starter– Use this generator to create 1-sentence beginnings. A new sentence appears each time you click!
- Literacy Shed Story Starters – has 50+ unique sentences to help writers begin a story.
- Storyline Online – See and hear a picture book story read by actors/actresses. Wonderful!
- Fun Trivia – Quizzes and games on all aspects of the English language.
- 5 Minute English – short and easy explanations and exercises.
- U.S.A. Learns – Teaches vocabulary, grammar and life skills. Created by the US Department of Education.
- Word search generator (love this one): create your own word search, with several options like size, whether words are horizontal, horizontal and vertical, and you can choose the words: http://tools.atozteacherstuff.
com/word-search-maker/ wordsearch.php
Other Resources
- Merriam Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus
- Encyclopedia Britannica
- The Free Dictionary – Online multi-languages dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia. Provides audio for pronunciation.
- The Internet Picture Dictionary
- Activities to Build College-level Reading Skills – Learning Disabilities and ADHD topics and website.
- Test-taking Tips and Strategies by Melanie – and How to Reduce Anxiety.
- Motivation and the Adult Learner – a Literacy Council Handout seminar notes from Deborah Johnson.
- A Good Google Drive Tool to Enhance Students’ Reading and Writing Skills.
- New Readers Press.com has a wealth of free online tutor resources.
- Practice Maryland Driver’s Tests. They also have a Spanish version!
- Books for those learning to read. This website has a description of the books which can be found in the Anne Arundel County Library. https://www.
teachercreatedmaterials.com/ administrators/series/ targeted-phonics-130/ - Books for those learning to read: Look in the AA county library catalog for “The sound of”, and then select children’s books, and you will find several books published by “A Child’s World” that are easy to read and helpful for learning the sounds of letters and combinations of letters, eg, “The Hot Pot, The sound of short O”.
- Handwriting worksheet generator (we love this one, many options for printing, cursive, sentences or words): https://handwritingworksheets.
com/ - Basic literacy (you can follow their phonics lessons, using their bingo cards and word lists): http://communityreading.org/
wp/tools-for-struggling- readers/starway-to-reading/ -
How Americans with Disabilities Can Cope With the COVID-19 Crisis
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Helping Families Deal With Traumatic Experiences — from Sesame Street in Communities
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Sensory-Friendly Modifications for Those Living With Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder
If you know of any tutor tools or resources worthy of sharing, please send them to Jane Seiss, our Program Director.
