Title: Reading
1- Reading
- Council
- For Literacy
- Advance
- In
- Montreal
RECLAIM Tutor training October 2007 Not to be
used without permission
2Vision
- The vision of the Reading Council for Literacy
Advance in Montreal (RECLAIM) is to continue
building a strong, literate community by bringing
adults together as partners to achieve individual
and collective goals through life-long learning.
3Mission
- As a leader in the literacy community, the
Reading Council for Literacy Advance in Montreal
(RECLAIM), a not-for-profit organization provides
free, confidential, English literacy services in
reading, writing, and numeracy. RECLAIM is
committed to - Life-long learning of motivated adults
- Raising literacy awareness in the community
- Fostering strong student-tutor partnerships
- Through its delivery of services, RECLAIM
respects the dignity and self-esteem of its
students and volunteers.
4History
- RECLAIM was started in 1980 to accommodate adult
literacy students who could not attend literacy
classes due to ill-health, child-care
considerations, work schedule conflicts, or other
problems. - When RECLAIM began 20 tutors worked with 20
students. Currently, 65 tutors are actively
working on a one on one basis with students.
Since its inception more than twenty-seven years
ago, RECLAIM has supported the literacy
development of more than one thousand motivated
adult learners. - In the fall of 1991, RECLAIM opened its Learning
Centre. The objective of the Centre is to foster
literacy in the broadest sense, by encouraging
students to upgrade their reading, writing and
basic math skills -- while using the computer as
a learning tool. The adult learners who
regularly attend the Learning Centre work on
individual or group projects (using specialized
software), supported by the Centre's coordinator
and a team of volunteers.
5Network of Literacy Councils
6RECLAIMs one on one tutoring
- Student and tutors will set their own study
schedule and place of study - Tutors are provided with materials to work with
their student at the students own pace and with
the students goals in mind - Tutors are supported by the staff at RECLAIM
7RECLAIMs Learning Centre
- Small group learning
- Computer assisted learning
- Emphasis on independent learning
- Aided by a team of volunteer learning centre
aides - Open daily 900am 1230pm (summer months Monday
Thursday)
8- One-to-One vs. Small Group Literacy
- There are many advantages to one-to-one literacy
instruction. It offers an excellent opportunity
for learner-centredness, as the program is
completely individualized. It also permits the
learner and tutor to develop a good relationship
based on mutual respect, and a possibility to
bridge some class stereotypes as the two working
together are likely to be from different social
classes. It may also give the learner privacy in
terms of publicly declaring his literacy needs. - There are also felt to be some limitations to
one-to-one tutoring. To begin with, people with
literacy needs often have feelings of shame,
embarrassment and isolation from society. A
one-to-one tutoring situation may improve their
technical and functional literacy skills, but it
may also reinforce their feelings of isolation.
Because literacy involves not only reading and
writing, but also developing critical thinking,
social skills and communication skills, problem-
solving, self-esteem, self-confidence, and
breaking the isolation of low literacy, a group
learning context is felt by many to be better for
the whole learning experience.
9- Making decisions or learning as a group enhances
communication. Information, opinions and
resources are exchanged during discussion, and an
issue is viewed from a variety of perspectives,
offering new insights. The process builds
thinking and problem-solving skills, and is both
creative and dynamic. Some effective group
learning activities include group discussions,
brainstorming, role- playing, problem-solving,
interviews, and active listening. These may take
place in the large group, or in smaller groups of
two, three, four or five. - Group learning also recognizes that the
tutor/instructor is not the only source of
knowledge, but that each group member has
knowledge, capability and a right to share ideas
and information with others. This encourages
group members to provide support and
encouragement to one another, and builds
self-confidence and self-esteem. - (GNWT Literacy Office Fretz and Paul, 199
Horsman, 1984)
10RECLAIMs organization structure
- Not for profit (subsidized by MELS under as a
community program Also subsidized by the EMSB) - Charity
- Governed by a board of directors consisting of 9
members (tutors and volunteers) - Staff includes
- A full time Executive
Director - A part time Program Coordinator
- A part time Assistant Program Coordinator
- over 85 volunteers!
11Benefits of being a literacy volunteer
- Helping Others - A Priceless Benefit! Of all the
benefits that literacy volunteers gain, nothing
is more valued than the reward of helping others.
- The single most important reason that volunteers
become involved in literacy programs is to help
others help themselves.
To help (the students) become more independent at
work and daily living is exciting and personally
rewarding for me. I have learned to celebrate
even the small accomplishments of life thanks to
my students. A.M., Windsor
12Skills to gain
- New Learning, New Skills
- Sixty-one percent of literacy volunteers recently
reported that obtaining new skills was important
to them. In the same survey, 68 of literacy
volunteers indicated that they had acquired new
skills in the course of volunteering! - Some of the specific skills that they can develop
while volunteering include - Teaching
- Board development
- Financial management
- Computer applications
- Administrative skills
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Assessment skills.
13What will make you a good tutor..
- Patience
- Tact
- Commitment
- Interest in others
- Ability to relate to people of different
backgrounds - A sense of humour
14RECLAIM welcomes you to our team of