Literacyworks Center Tutor Resources
Free Online Resources From LINCS
Learner Center
https://learner.lincs.ed.gov
The LINCS Learner Center connects adult learners to free online resources to reach their life goals. Learners can choose a goal to learn how to read better, learn more English, get job skills, and more.
The website’s friendly layout makes it easier for adult learners to use the site independently. Resources in the Learner Center have been selected for their high quality and you can see which organization created each of the resources. Some of the resources can be accessed in Spanish. The LINCS Learner Center is regularly updated.
New American Horizons Foundation
Adult ESL Training Videos
http://www.newamericanhorizons.org/training-videos
The New American Horizons Foundation seeks to expand opportunities for immigrants in the United States. To enable immigrants to participate fully in their new society, the Foundation focuses on making English as a Second Language courses more widely available and affordable.
Teaching ESL to Adults: Classroom Approaches in Action is a series of twelve videos full of practical, engaging and effective English language teaching strategies. The videos can be viewed online for free or purchased as four DVD volumes.
Tutor Ready
literacyworkslincs.learnerweb.org
This new resource draws from the research-based LINCS' Teaching Adults to Read online courses and workshops. Tutor Ready focuses on topics relevant to adult literacy volunteer tutors. It provides answers to common questions volunteer tutors ask about how best to help their learners improve their skills in reading.
English Language Learner University (ELL-U)
https://lincs.ed.gov/programs/ell-u
The English Language Learner University is a national adult English language learning (ELL) professional development network. The resources developed through this federally funded initiative were designed to broaden, deepen, and strengthen the knowledge and skills of educators working with adult ELLs.
Learning to Achieve
http://lincs.ed.gov/programs/learningtoachieve/materials.html
Learning to Achieve is designed to build teacher effectiveness in providing instruction for adults with learning disabilities (LD). It includes an integrated set of research-based resources and professional development materials available for self-study or trainer-led events. In order to increase the reach and accessibility of these materials, more of the training has been made available for online, self-study.
Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles (ASRP)
http://lincs.ed.gov/readingprofiles/index.htm
ASRP provides research-based assessment strategies to improve reading instruction for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) learners. It provides lots of good information about the components of reading and offers suggestions for instruction in each one. The site primarily serves teachers, program administrators and staff developers, but all other visitors are welcome to participate.
More Online Resources
California Library Literacy Services (CLLS)
http://libraryliteracy.org/
California Library Literacy Services (CLLS), a program of the California State Library, supports Californians by providing services to adults with low-literacy and their families through California public libraries. This website has many programmatic and tutoring resources.
The Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS)
www.lincs.ed.gov
The Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS), is a national dissemination, resource gathering, and professional development system providing information on a wide variety of literacy relevant topics, issues, and resources.
The LINCS Learner Center
https://learner.lincs.ed.gov
The LINCS Learner Center connects adult learners to free online resources to reach their life goals. Learners can choose a goal to learn how to read, get job skills, and more.
Literacy Tutoring
http://www.tinyurl.com/literacytutoring
These videos feature tutor-learner pairs demonstrating evidence-based reading strategies. You can watch them to learn more about reading research and to see what tutoring pairs might do in a lesson.
Learner Web
https://www.learnerweb.org/LearnerWeb/LearnerWeb.html?region=literacyworkslincs&locale=en#REGION_HOME_PAGE
This self-paced tutorial focuses on topics relevant to adult literacy tutoring. They provide answers to some common questions volunteer tutors ask about how best to help their learners improve their reading skills. You need to create an account to use this resource.
Tutoring Resources
http://alamedareads.weebly.com/
A portal to learning websites on these topics: computer basics, reading, writing, listening, vocabulary building and GED practice.
GCFLearnFree
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/
Excellent online basic computer skills tutorials as well as math, reading and career development resources.
www.englishpage.com
Free online English lessons, ESL resources and tutorials.
www.cdlponline.org
California Distance Learning Project
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/
Student activities and teacher resources.
Purdue Learning Lab
www.practice4GED.com
Advanced grammar, punctuation, and spelling explanations with exercise and writing tips.
4Tests
www.4tests.com
Good GED practice material broken down into categories within each subject. You need to sign up as a new member and log in to use this site, but the log in is free.
Practice GED tests
www.easyenglish.com
You need to log in to use this site, but the it’s is free. Print material may be purchased.
Lesson plans, games, quizzes, blogs for learners and tutors.
www.creativewritingprompts.com
Here you will find a list of 400 writing topic ideas. Scroll through to find questions that will appeal to your learner’s interests.
GoodTyping
www.goodtyping.com
A web-based typing tutorial with 27 guided lessons.
Discovery School's Puzzlemaker
www.puzzlemaker.com
Create and print customized word search, crossword and math puzzles using your own word lists.
Bogglesworldesl
www.bogglesworldesl.com
This site has many types of printable word puzzles: crosswords, word searches, flash cards. Topics include vocabulary related to holidays, urban life, animals, the environment, shopping, and more.
Financial Literacy Resources
www.projectmoney.org
A website and workbook developed by adult learners about saving and managing money.
Bank Rate
www.bankrate.com
Wells Fargo
www.handsonbanking.org
Money Smart
www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/index.html
Practical Money Skills for Life
www.practicalm
Access to Learning
Online Tutoring Resource
These videos show tutor/learner pairs demonstrating the most current evidence-based reading strategies in clear, easy to replicate segments. The movies focus on four components of reading: alphabetics (phonemic awareness and decoding), fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. By using more targeted reading instruction, tutors can have a greater impact on the skill development of their learners. There are also several videos about planning for and holding the first meeting with a new learner.
Tutors can use these videos independently. They’re great for new tutors as well as for more seasoned ones looking to improve their skills or tackle a specific learner need.
The videos are on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/literacytutoring. We would also appreciate your feedback through the online survey included with each video.
Applying Research In Reading Instruction For Adults (ARRIA) First Steps For Teachers
This book is an excellent resource for adult educators. It is well organized into 9 chapters that provide explicit guidance on how to plan and deliver reading instruction in adult education. It first provides a clear and user-friendly definition of reading and the components of reading instruction. It then provides an overview of reading assessment practices. The following chapters (Chapters 4 through 7) provide guidance for assessing, planning and providing instruction in each of the reading components with specific examples and resources provided. The book ends with two chapters on how to develop a plan for a program to implement effective reading assessment and instruction with specific examples.
The book was developed for practitioners and makes the daunting task of taking on adult literacy appear manageable. The translation of research and research-based principles is clear and practical.
