Favorite Literacy Teaching Experience

During Partnership in the fall of 2013, I tutored a five-year-old male Kindergarten student, RB. Our tutoring sessions were everyday for an entire semester. He enjoyed hands on and engaging activities when learning literacy. At the beginning of tutoring, RB was functioning on a pre-emergent level. He struggled greatly with letter recognition, letter formation, and letter sounds. He was barely able to write his own first and last name. Throughout our sessions, it became my ultimate goal for RB to foster a love for reading and writing. It was important for me to ensure that RB’s attitude towards reading and writing increased by the end of the semester. Every lesson plan included many activities that were hands on and engaging in hopes of increasing RB’s motivation to want to engage in literacy learning. Activities such as rhyme time, sorts, lined story paper, write on write off boards, gel bag writing, and repetitive texts were often used.

For each tutoring lesson plan, I structured the sections developmentally based on RB’s needs and instructional or independent abilities. There were five steps within each lesson plan: Alphabet Awareness and Beginning Sounds (Alphabetic Principle), Word Awareness (Concepts of Print-COP), Phonological Awareness, Comprehension (Shared Reading with Level A Books), and Interactive Writing. Lesson plans were written and adapted based on student mastery, developing, or needs of improvement for each particular section. These sections ranged anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes of instruction.

I was extremely pleased with my overall tutoring experience. I could not have asked for better literacy achievement displayed by my tutee. RB was very engaged and intrigued by the instructional activities, materials, and resources. RB did an excellent job of answering questions, asking questions, completing lesson activities, and taking risks. Without RB’s cooperation and participation, our tutoring sessions would not have been nearly as successful or as rewarding as they were. He simply needed someone to care about him and his literacy needs. He needed someone to understand his way of learning and individual pace. I am honored that I was given the opportunity to be that figure for RB. He was able to accomplish an exceptional amount by feeling comfortable, engaged, and supported. His excitement to want to become a successful reader and writer was a remarkable site to observe. It made this experience absolutely priceless. At the end of tutoring, RB was functioning on an early emergent level. I was so incredibly proud of my tutee!

Concepts of Print

Pre-Assessment: 11/20

Post-Assessment: 20/20

Fry’s Sight Words

Pre-Assessment: 0/40

Post-Assessment: 18/40

Letter Recognition

Phonological Awareness