Subsequent chapters cover a particular technology area, and you can review the material for ideas that might be useful for you. HOwever, it's probably better to start from a need you might have with a particular child. Think about the need of a child you tutor, then review the suggestions in the next chapter.
The 'needs' covered in the next chapter include:
| Pronunciation/letter-to-sound rules. This is the foundation of Phonics Pathways, and the center has many other great resources in this area, but a few more are supplied here.
|
| Fluency. For native speakers, fluency is often correlated with comprehension, and it is one of the common aspects of reading assessment.
|
| Vocabulary/Grammar. The major research finding is that children learn words and grammar not by memorizing lists and rules but, rather, by seeing instances of words in several different contexts where they understand most of the context.
|
| Comprehension. Many non-native speakers can read fluently but are limited in understanding because of weaknesses in English vocabulary and grammar. Native and non-native speakers alike often have trouble with inferencing and other aspects of comprehension.
|
| Attention/Motivation. A recurring finding in research is that children read material they are interested in at higher grade levels than material they are less interested in. Further, more is retained of content and vocabulary for 'interesting' material.
|
| English. Some children already are literate in another language. Others are learning English as they learn to read and write for the first time. Still others need help with the English language even though it's their first language because they speak a non-standard dialect.
|