Welcome New Tutors!

We'd like to welcome seven new tutors who completed training on August 9, 2014: From the left, Shirley Ng, Sheryl Springer (trainer), Dave Robinson, Donna Lingel (back row), Joan Panero (front row), Judy Mellberg, and Ursel Bloxsom. Also, not pictured: Susan Homer.

Write to Read Tutor Dale DeBakcsy Wins Award from Adult School

Dale DeBakcsy is a Write to Read tutor who assists students at Castro Valley Adult and Continuing Education (CVACE). Yesterday, June 5, the Castro Valley School District presented Dale with CVACE's Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Dale has been helping students prepare for the math portion of the GED as well as tutoring a beginning reader in an Adult Basic Education (ABE) class. One of his former students passed the GED exam last December. Dale's also a volunteer at the Castro Valley Library on Monday nights, where he runs the math and science lab for high school students.

Here's the text of the speech that Caresse Nguyen, Chair of the ABE Department, gave to recognize Dale's excellent work.

"With knowledge of math, writing, science, social studies, and just about any subject, Dale DeBakcsy arrives every week at CVACE often looking dapper, sporting a hat and tie. Dale is likened to a local hero on campus. Our partnership with the Alameda County Library's Write to Read program sends us tutors who support our ABE and ASE students. Dale, who is an exceptionally popular tutor, is in demand as he plays an instrumental part in helping our students achieve success, and most significantly, has fostered our students' interest in learning.

One of our students told us this, 'Dale is patient, kind, and funny. He has helped me improve in math and has elevated me to help me process new things. He is a great person, and I am very blessed to have met him.'

What we most appreciate about Dale is that he goes the extra mile, enjoys interacting with students, and finds a way to bridge any gap a student might have. He makes it look easy. Thank you, Dale, for your support and commitment to our program."

Please note: Library branches will close for two holidays this summer:

*       July 4, 2014 Independence Day

*       September 1, 2014 Labor Day

Does your student need basic computer skills?

*        Invite your student to a summer computer lab!

*        Your student can attend alone or with you

*        Lab tutors will work one-to-one with your student

*        Students learn typing, email, & basic Internet search skills

*        We have special online spelling, writing, & reading programs

*        Offered at the Fremont Library Mon. 1-3 PM, Tues 5-7 PM, Wed 12-2 PM

*        Call 510-745-1573 to sign up for labs

*        Click here for the complete summer lab schedule

Calendar Template 2014

Hi Tutors,

Summer is right around the corner. We suggest that you and your student take out your calendars and talk about summer plans. Many students have children who are home in the summer and vacation plans that will affect their availability for tutoring.

What if your student doesn't keep a calendar? That sounds like a great literacy lesson.

1. Click the link below to open a template for a blank 2014 calendar.

2.  Print the pages you need and bring them to your tutoring session.

3. Together, you and your student can fill in tutoring, doctor, and vacation commitments.

4. This is a great lesson to do every time you meet if your student doesn't already keep a calendar.

Calendar Template for 2014, Please click here

Food For Fines

 

Does your student have outstanding library fines?

Here’s a way to help hungry families and decrease fines by up to $20!

 

April 13-19, 2014

 

The Alameda County Community Food Bank serves one in six Alameda County residents, and it’s running low on food!

 

For National Library Week in April, Alameda County Library is partnering with the Food Bank. We’re inviting library card holders with fines to bring in items for the food bank. For each non-perishable food item brought to the library, $1.00 will be subtracted from the patron’s overdue fines, to a maximum of $20. 

 

The Food Bank needs non-perishable items like peanut butter, canned tuna and meat, beans, rice, low-sodium soups and stews, and low-sugar cereal.  Only non-perishable, unexpired, store-sealed items will be accepted.  No glass bottles, please!

 

The participating branches are:

Albany Library (510-526-3720)	Castro Valley Library (510-667-7900)
Centerville Library (510-795-2629)	Dublin Library (925-803-7252)
Fremont Main Library (510-745-1400)	Irvington Library (510-795-2631)
Newark Library (510-795-2627)	Niles Library (510-795-2626)
San Lorenzo Library (510-670-6283)	Union City Library (510-745-1464)

 

Financial Literacy

  

Lots of clear financial information sponsored by Visa, but run by educators.
www.practicalmoneyskills.com/

How to protect yourself from ID theft.
www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft

Hands on Banking
www.handsonbanking.org/htdocs/en/t/

Money Skill
www.moneyskill.org/Resources

Create a budget (PDF document)

Fluency

Students can time themselves on these reading passages. Encourage them to focus on improving their speed, accuracy, and expression when they read aloud.
www.marshalladulteducation.org/reading-skills-for-todays-adult

Fluency activities for lower levels
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/fluency-activities-lower-levels

A New Citizen

Fleurine Ouonkap passed the citizenship test on February 25, 2014.  With the guidance of her tutor, Kathy Kaldor, Fleurine studied and prepared for the test for two months.  The Write to Read Program is very proud of Fleurine’s achievement.

TAX INFORMATIO​N

Click Here

Many of you may already be aware of this tax information, but your students might not. Here’s an easy-to-read flyer sent to us by the State Libraries in Sacramento that you may want to share with your student.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable credit for working low- and moderate-income individuals and couples, particularly those with children.

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is a tax credit that can increase the tax refund for families with children under age 17.

According to the National Community Tax Coalition (NCTC), which produced this flyer, the two tax credit programs allow qualified low- and moderate-income workers and families to keep more of their income. The NCTC says research shows a close link between family income and later outcomes, and increasing a family's income by $3,000 annually over the course of several years can boost children's achievement significantly.

Writing

Great website to inspire writers. 

www.piclits.com/compose_dragdrop.aspx

7 Powerful Writing Skills That Will Give Your ESL Students an Edge
www.fluentu.com/english/educator/blog/esl-writing-skills/

Worksheet: Sentence Starters

Instructions for the 10 Steps Writing Program

Link

Adresses Worksheet

Practice writing and reading addresses.

"Day of the Dead" Worksheet
Practice questions about the Day of the Dead and other holidays.
  
"Eggs" Worksheet
Prompt to write a small paragraph (about breakfast/eggs).

ESL Activity: Sending a Postcard
An activity for ESL students in which they can send a postcard to someone.

"Two Interesting Animals" Worksheet
Practice writing and reading basic sentences.
(By Linda Millar)

Winter Olympics 2014

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia has begun, bringing many opportunities for reading practice at many levels! Here is a link to the Library’s Olympic Webpage, where you’ll find a wealth of reading material in one place.

guides.aclibrary.org/content.php?pid=564049&sid=4649664

Here are a few literacy tasks to try on the Olympics Webpage:

· On the main page, have your student read the weather report for Sochi and track the number of metals won by each country  (beginning students)

· Click the red MEDIA tab and read the viewing guide to find favorite events (beginning and intermediate students)

· Click the red MEDIA tab to find sports news (intermediate and advanced students)

· On the main page, read stories about the ancient Olympics (advanced literacy students)

Enjoy!

Water Conservation Guide

Here’s a great piece of authentic material to use in your next tutoring session! Read this guide with your student and talk about the drought we’re experiencing in California. If the text is too difficult for your student to read aloud, scan it together looking for easy words like water or leaks. Then you can read the guide aloud to your student and have a conversation about saving water. 

Click Here

Resources for Tutors and Students!

We have added three new pages to this blog!

 (You can access each by clicking on the link in the following post, or by clicking on the links of the same name to the left.)

The first is Websites for Tutors and Students.
This page compiles useful websites for both tutors and students to use. It varies from tutorials, articles, and even games.

The second is Written Materials for Tutors and Students.
This page compiles documents that can be used by tutors and students. It includes worksheets and other fun and useful activities.

And finally is Archive of Past Tutor Meetings.
This page compiles notes from past tutor meetings. As of now it has only one past meeting, but will grow as more meetings/notes are added.

Have fun using all the new resources!