IN BRIEF
This booklet will assist you to:

TUTOR

Do an audit of your own skills and
attributes necessary to be a literacy
tutor
Read a case study and prepare two
short sessions to suit the learner’s
needs. There is a model case study to
assist you.
PREPARATION

Prepare a risk assessment of a venue
BOOKLET
North Coast TAFE
Table of Contents
Instructions .....................................................................................................................................................1
Task 1: Tutor Skills and attributes ...................................................................................................................2
Task 2: Risk Assessment ..................................................................................................................................4
Task 3: Case Study Activity .............................................................................................................................5
Case Study: Jim ...........................................................................................................................................5
Background .............................................................................................................................................5
Literacy ability .........................................................................................................................................5
Interests ..................................................................................................................................................5
Immediate literacy needs .......................................................................................................................5
Getting it all together - some session plans for Jim....................................................................................6
Lesson 1 ..................................................................................................................................................6
Lesson 2 ..................................................................................................................................................7
Example Case study: Michael .........................................................................................................................8
Background .................................................................................................................................................8
Literacy ability .............................................................................................................................................8
Interests ......................................................................................................................................................8
Immediate literacy needs ...........................................................................................................................8
Getting it all together – some session plans for Michael ...........................................................................9
Lesson 1 ..................................................................................................................................................9
Lesson 2 ..................................................................................................................................................9
Portfolio ........................................................................................................................................................11
North Coast TAFE
Instructions
This booklet will assist you to:
 Do a skills audit of your own skills and attributes necessary to be a literacy tutor

Prepare a risk assessment of a venue

Read the case study on Michael and view the model of 2 session plans prepared for Michael.
Then you will read Jim’s case study and prepare short sessions to suit Jim’s needs.
You can either:
Print this booklet, complete the activities and hand it to your local librarian to send to Donna
Guiver at Great Lakes TAFE
OR
Complete the activities, save the file and email as an attachment to
donna.guiver@det.nsw.edu.au
You should also start a portfolio of materials suitable for working with various learners. You do not need
to send this, but it will assist you when you commence working with a learner.
Remember to go to the Course Resource Manual - Literacy Face to Face for any
extra information.
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Task 1: Tutor Skills and attributes
What skills might you have as a tutor?
Look at the table and start listing and rating the skills you have.
Skills
Tick
How good are you at this skill? Place a number
from 1 to 3 (1 if you’re really good at it, 2 if
you’re OK and 3 if you’re not so good)
Reading a newspaper
Reading business letters
Reading labels and instructions
Reading the TV guide
Reading out loud
Using a telephone directory
Using maps or street directories
Telling the time
Using a dictionary
Filling in forms
Writing letters
Researching online
Spelling
Writing reports
Using a calculator
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Rate:
Attributes
Yes / No
1 if you’re really good at it, 2 if you’re OK and
3 if you’re not so good
Are you organised, reliable,
flexible?
Do you love to inspire others?
Are you willing to try something
new?
Are you able to make yourself clear
when someone doesn’t understand
you the first time?
Are you quick to smile/laugh?
Do you usually understand how
other people feel?
Are you creative/imaginative?
Can you think on your feet?
Do you accept other people just as
they are?
Are you a friendly person?
Can you think of any other skills
you might need as a tutor?
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Task 2: Risk Assessment
Complete a risk assessment of where you are right now or a room you would use for tutoring.
Type of room:
Movement around the area
Is the internal flooring in good condition?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are there any changes in floor level or type of flooring that need to be highlighted? Yes / Action Needed
/ NA
Can you move around the area easily?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are trailing electrical leads/cables prevented wherever possible?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Is lighting bright enough to allow safe access and exit?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are procedures in place to deal with spillages, e.g. water, blood from cuts?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are access steps or ramps properly maintained?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are access stairs or ramps provided with handrails?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Furniture and fixtures
Are fixtures in good condition and securely fastened, e.g. display boards, shelving? Yes / Action Needed
/ NA
Is furniture in good repair and suitable for the user, whether adult or child?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Is portable equipment stable, e.g. a TV set on a suitable trolley?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are hot surfaces protected where necessary to prevent the risk of burns?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Computers and similar equipment
Have learners been advised about good practice when using computers?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Electrical equipment and services
Are fixed electrical switches and plug sockets in good repair?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are all plugs and cables in good repair?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Has portable electrical equipment, e.g. kettles, been checked? (There may be a sticker to show it has been
tested.)
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Fire
Are fire exit doors unobstructed; kept unlocked; and easy to open from the inside? Yes / Action Needed
/ NA
Is fire-fighting equipment in place in the room?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are fire evacuation procedures clearly displayed?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
Are you aware of the evacuation drill, including arrangements for any vulnerable adults or children?
Yes / Action Needed / NA
This is not an exhaustive list and you should identify any other hazards associated with the use of the
space.
Additional Issues identified:
Further Action Needed:
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Task 3: Case Study Activity
Read the case study and then use the template provided below to plan a session for Jim.
Please refer to Michael’s case study, starting page 9, as a model for assistance.
Case Study: Jim
Background
Jim is a member of the local Aboriginal community. He is married and has 3 children 3, 5 and 7.
Jim has worked over the years in various local jobs, oysters, fishing, builders’ labourer and landscaping
Jim now has a very bad back from an old football injury and needs to retrain to get an easier job. He is
interested in working with youth as he remembers how hard it was for him growing up and settling down
after his childhood was spent moving around with his father who was an itinerant worker. So Jim thinks
he would be good as a local youth worker and would really like to do the Welfare Certificate at TAFE or
the AIN course to work in the local nursing home as he gets on well with older people. But Jim didn’t go
to school much and has problems generally with reading and writing. He has relied on his wife and
mother to sort out forms, bills and things in the past. Also Jim cannot imagine that he could go to TAFE,
he feels very anxious about the future of his family and combined with his lack of confidence and bad
past educational experiences he is very confused.
Literacy ability
He can read and write his own name and address. He recognizes and can write most of the letters of the
alphabet, except for a few which he confuses. He recognizes or can work out a few sight words but is
unable to read connected prose at all.
He got his NSW driver’s licence 5 years ago and can read safety signs and road signs and maps. Jim can
also read the local paper especially the car advertisements and tide charts.
Interests
Jim is interested in fishing, building and mechanics.
Immediate literacy needs
He would like to be less dependent on his wife for forms and bills and letters from his children’s’ school.
He cannot read notes left for them by the customers or the instructions on cleaning products.
He is worried that his eldest child will learn that he cannot read well.
The ability to read would help him to go into a basic Literacy TAFE course to prepare for further training.
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Getting it all together - some session plans for Jim
Please fill some ideas you have for assisting Jim reach his goals.
Dot points are acceptable.
Lesson 1
Introduction
Spelling
Language experience story
Just reading
At the end of the lesson
WH&S considerations:
Ethical issues:
Aboriginal learner considerations:
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Lesson 2
Review last week’s work
Cloze
Language experience story
Cluster analysis
Just reading
Spelling
Environmental print
At the end of the lesson
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Example Case study: Michael
Background
Michael is aged 33. He was the youngest of six children.
Until he was 7 Michael attended a school in the capital city but he recalls very little of it except that the
class seemed very big. When he was 7 the family moved to a small country town. The following year his
parents separated and the children stayed with their father. Their father could not read or write.
Michael attended a one teacher school. The same teacher stayed there for most of Michael’s schooling.
Michael seems to have strong antagonistic memories of this teacher. He didn’t care about the dumb kids.
He just looked after the smart ones. Michael frequently ‘wagged’ school, had one year at high school and
left as soon as he was able.
He worked as a farm hand then married and moved to a larger town where he and his wife now run a
domestic cleaning business. He relies on her to do the reading and writing tasks. They have two children
aged 6 and 4.
He is very interested in motor bikes. He has a bike which he races and would dearly love to be able to
read the manual.
Literacy ability
He can read and write his own name and address. He recognizes and can write most of the letters of the
alphabet, except for a few which he confuses. He recognizes or can work out a few sight words but is
unable to read connected prose at all.
Interests

His bike and the bike club

Renovating a rundown house

Sport (particularly the local football club)
Immediate literacy needs

He would like to be less dependent on his wife in the business. He cannot read notes left for
them by the customers or the instructions on cleaning products.

He is worried that his eldest child will learn that he cannot read.

The ability to read would help him with the maintenance of his bike and make him a more active
participant in the bike club.
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Getting it all together – some session plans for Michael
Lesson 1
Introduction
In your first lesson you spend much time talking with him and getting to know each other.
You ask him to write his name and address so he can demonstrate what he can do and you praise this.
Spelling
You ask him to write down his wife and children’s names and discover that he misspells his wife’s name.
You write this out for him and he copies it a few times until he can write it from memory. You write it on
a spelling practice sheet for him and on the appropriate page in a personal dictionary note book.
Language experience story
He tells you about his business and you write down a few sentences. You work on this until he can
recognise most of the words. You put these in the word envelope.
Just reading
You read an article from the sports section of the local newspaper. You point out the word football
which occurs several times in the article. You write it out on a word card for him, and then ask him to find
the word wherever it appears in the article.
At the end of the lesson
You ask him to write his wife’s name again and tell him to practise it again tonight and during the week.
You ask him to re-read the words from the language experience story from the word cards and remind
him to practise this during the week.
You ask him to bring along his motor bike manual and a commonly used cleaning product next week.
Lesson 2
Review last week’s work
You ask Michael to write his wife’s name again on the spelling practice sheet and ask him to read last
week’s language experience story then the words on the word cards in the envelope.
Cloze
You arrange the word cards from last week’s language experience story as a cloze exercise for him to do
orally.
Language experience story
You write down another few sentences about his business and work on this then add the words to his
word envelope.
Cluster analysis
His wife’s name is Margaret, he lives in Arthur St and the words car and parked came up in his
stories, so you work on the ar cluster.
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Just reading
He explains one of the diagrams in his bike manual and tells you what he knows about the section you are
about to read. Then you read a little. You reread the first two sentences and get him to repeat it with
your help. You do this till he can read it without your help. He can recognise three of the key words. You
write them on word cards and add them to the word envelope.
Spelling
You help him write his children’s names and his occupation (cleaner) and add them to the spelling
practice sheet and the appropriate pages in his personal dictionary.
Environmental print
You work on the cleaning product he has brought along. You first ask him how he would use it and ask
him what words he would expect to find written on the label. Then read the key parts for him. You pick
out three key words to learn and add them to the word envelope.
At the end of the lesson
You ask him to write this week’s spelling words again and read the new word cards for the week and
remind him to practise them tonight and during the
OH&S considerations:





Complete the Risk Assessment
Ensure the venue is safe
Ensure all electrical devices are safe and if a public venue are tagged
Ensure the seating and chairs are safe
Make sure there are no fumes or situations which could make you or Michael ill.
Ethical issues:





Assure Michael of confidentiality
Make sure the venue is private and acceptable by Michel
Keep any resources in a private safe place where Michael’s work or details cannot be viewed by
others.
Make sure that any personal details which Michael may disclose are never passed on to other
people.
Do not make any value judgements or give any advice on Michaels’ behaviours, language or life.
Aboriginal learner considerations:





Consider that Michael may have had negative experiences at school.
Consider that Michael may feel shame
Consider that Michael may use the language on documents/texts as a second language
Consider that Michael may have undiagnosed hearing or other health problems.
Consider that Michael may not see the real world resources are relevant to him.
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Portfolio
You do not need to send this portfolio, it is simply to help you get prepared to start work as a Volunteer
Literacy tutor.
Organise the portfolio into several sections including:
Reading

Newspaper articles

Magazine

Brochures 7 flyers

Medication packets

Letters

Comics

Safety signs

Shopping catalogues

Sale flyers

Sets of Instructions
Writing

Forms

Video applications

Shopping lists

Notes and messages

Postcards

Letters
Tips and ideas to help you and remind you of what to do
Other useful resources

DVDs

CDs

Web sites
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