Most tutors use a curriculum provided by their local agency, but some planning may still be required. Even if you work almost entirely off the lessons in the curriculum or not, sometimes you may need extra activities or ideas to support a lesson.
This list of resources is to help you meet the needs of your student. Some are designed for K-12 education, and may need adjustments. Please do not feel obligated to use all of these resources. As we find new resources we will add them. If you need something, please let us know! This list was last updated January 25, 2023.
Math
Khan Academy – fantastic website with great videos that students can watch over and over till they get the concepts. The math section includes practice and an extensive tracking program for the teachers. http://www.khanacademy.org/
BBC English and Math for Adults – lots of good stuff in here including videos, training, quizzes, and games. http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise
TV411 – Get practical practice – reading, writing, vocabulary, math, learning. http://www.tv411.org/
Mathantics – The instructional videos are free and a few of the worksheets and answer keys are free. If a teacher wants to use all of the worksheets and answer keys (for all lessons) the fee is $20.00 per year. Before I bought the extras on this, I used the website and backed up each video lesson with lesson worksheets that matched from https://www.math-aids.com. https://mathantics.com/ (Review and recommendation by Gayla Fiest)
Reading
Goodwill Community Foundation – includes Reading, Computers, and Math. Nice layout with lots of activities. http://www.gcflearnfree.org/
Starfall – starts at the beginning and works its way up. The site is designed for children but is effective for anyone. http://www.starfall.com/
U.S.A. Learns – Learn English and improve basic reading, writing, speaking and life skills. Slick website with videos and audio. www.usalearns.org
Learning English – free printable materials. http://www.englishbanana.com/
BBC English and Math for Adults – lots of good stuff in here including videos, training, quizzes, and games. http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise
Pearsonlongman – Online practice reading tests. http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/marketing/sfesl/practicereading.html
TV411 – Get practical practice reading, writing, vocabulary, math, learning. http://www.tv411.org/
RHL School – Reading comprehension worksheets http://rhlschool.com/reading.htm
Read Write Think – Lesson plans, guides, materials, and more. http://www.readwritethink.org/
Natural Reader – your computer will read aloud any text to you. http://www.naturalreaders.com/
PaperRater – Free online Grammar Check, Plagiarism Detection, and Writing Suggestions http://paperrater.com/
Chompchomp.com – Grammar terms, exercises, handouts and more http://www.chompchomp.com/
Free Reading – Provides a library of activities and other curricular resources for literacy development. http://www.freereading.net
Read Central – A veritable goldmine of free online books by the most widely read and best known authors from across the world. No Downloads. No subscription. Just read books online for free. Use the Smart Reader switch to change font size and colors. https://www.readcentral.com
English As Second Language
DuoLingo -Top notch, full featured language learning program. https://www.duolingo.com
New American Horizons – great ESL instructional videos that help with lesson planning and teaching ESL instructional techniques. http://www.newamericanhorizons.org/training-videos
PUMAROSA – this site is bilingual phonetic and is designed to help you learn English as quickly and easily as possible. http://www.pumarosa.com/
Rong-Chang – conversations with audio and exercises. Large selection of lessons for beginners and intermediates. http://rong-chang.com/
English Speak – text and audio that allows the user to point at any text in the story and it will instantly read it out loud at your chosen speed. http://englishspeak.com/
ESL Cyber Listening Lab – stories are read out loud to the listener with quick quizes afterwards. http://esl-lab.com/
Color In Colorado – is a free web-based service that provides information, activities and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners (ELLs). http://www.colorincolorado.org/
Typing
Typing Club – this site comes highly recommend by computer teacher Linda Holland: https://www.typingclub.com
Sense-Lang – Great typing website. Tutorials and games that are well thought out and informative. Even includes a school section that allows you to register as a teacher and make assignments for your students. http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/
Typing Web – Another good typing website. Tells you your problem keys, has “Tools for Teachers” that allows you to track your students progress and time. http://www.typingweb.com/
Speed Typing Online – https://www.speedtypingonline.com/typing-test
Keybr.com – quick and easy touch typing http://www.keybr.com/#!game
Computers
Learn Excel with Excel Easy- well laid out site with downloadable examples that will help you quickly learn various Excel topics. http://www.excel-easy.com
Microsoft Digital Literacy – Whether you are new to computing or have some experience, this curriculum will help you develop a fundamental understanding of computers. The courses help you learn the essential skills to begin computing with confidence, be more productive at home and at work, stay safe online, use technology to complement your lifestyle, and consider careers where you can put your skills to work. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/digitalliteracy/home
GCF – Goodwill Community Foundation – Computers, reading, and Math. Computer section includes Computer Basics, Microsoft Excel, Facebook 101, Microsoft Office, Internet Basics, Google, and more. Most sections have lessons, interactives, quizzes and videos. http://www.gcflearnfree.org/
For a full list of topics see http://www.gcflearnfree.org/topics
Microsoft Office Training – courses for specific parts of Office. Courses include practice and tests.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/training-FX101782702.aspx
Jan’s Computer Literacy – not the best of the bunch, but some useful components including quizzes. http://www.jegsworks.com/lessons/
Vocabulary
Free Rice – Great for vocabulary. It will automatically adjust to your vocabulary level, or hit the change level button to access all levels of vocabulary. It also has several other subjects to choose from. http://freerice.com
Vocabulary.com – Puts words into context and asks multiple choice questions. Works well and you can sign up so it can track your progress. http://vocabulary.com
Vocabulary.co.il – Vocabulary games and resources. http://www.vocabulary.co.il/
History and Geography
Khan Academy – history videos. http://www.khanacademy.org
Hippo Campus – In depth website with interactive topics and courses. http://www.hippocampus.org/
Geoguessr – this is a fun and entertaining site that uses Google Maps to locate you somewhere in the world and you have to guess where. Great for getting people interested in Geography. https://www.geoguessr.com
Sheppard Software – Great map games that have different levels of play. If you want to learn geography and memorize locations and capitals quickly, this site will help you achieve it in a fun and challenging way.. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm
Maps.com – wide range of fun geography games. http://www.maps.com/funfacts.aspx
GED Practice Tests
Khan Academy – history videos. http://www.khanacademy.org
Hippo Campus – In depth website with interactive topics and courses. http://www.hippocampus.org/
Geoguessr – this is a fun and entertaining site that uses Google Maps to locate you somewhere in the world and you have to guess where. Great for getting people interested in Geography. https://www.geoguessr.com
Sheppard Software – Great map games that have different levels of play. If you want to learn geography and memorize locations and capitals quickly, this site will help you achieve it in a fun and challenging way.. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm
Maps.com – wide range of fun geography games. http://www.maps.com/funfacts.aspx
Free Online Courses
Coursera – “Take the world’s best courses, online, for free.” https://www.coursera.org
Onlinecourses.com – browse free online courses and quickly find the course you are looking for. Watch out for the “Sponsored” search link, instead use “Browse by Category”. http://www.onlinecourses.com/
Makeuseof – 8 Websites to Take Free College Courses Online http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-awesome-websites-free-college-courses-online/
Miscellaneous
Books Should Be Free – audio books that can be downloaded or streamed. http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/
Watch Know Learn – large list of learning videos for many subjects. http://watchknowlearn.org/default.aspx
Free Rice – Great vocabulary site that also includes several other subjects. Works like a multiple choice game. http://freerice.com
Hippo Campus – In depth website with interactive topics and courses. http://www.hippocampus.org/
Spelling – very good site that allows you to type in your own words and then it will test you by reading the words out loud, also has flash cards and more http://www.spellingcity.com/
Spelling – you can use this site to get lists of words for a certain grade level, then copy and paste them into spellingcity.com (above) to learn and test http://www.homespellingwords.com/index.htm
Spelling – list of most common misspelled words on the GED test. Copy and paste parts of the list into spellingcity.com to learn and test http://www.gedforfree.com/free-ged-course/language-arts/most-commonly-misspelled-ged-words.html
Interactive Online Activities for ESL and ABE / GED – great list of websites. If you can’t find it on our page look here. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j907b3kxoEoiJrWEfxFfKC6TRIYwIrWaor6SeJc7f18/edit
Jefferson Lab – balance chemical equations http://education.jlab.org/elementbalancing
Mometrix Academy – extensive test preparations https://www.mometrix.com/academy
There is no shortage of research supporting the value of goal setting. Whether it is related to your health, your job, or learning, goal setting is an important part of the process.
Literacy Councils in Arkansas also value goal setting because all of our students are different. They come to us with different backgrounds, abilities, and plans in life. When a student enrolls, they may say they want to learn to read or improve English or prepare for the GED, but there is almost always a more powerful motivator – the student’s true goals. Those are things like to get a better job, read a book with their child, or pass the driver’s license test. Sometimes, as students learn and their confidence improves, they develop new goals.
Helping students identify those goals, and measure their progress towards them is a powerful tool in helping them learn. These goals can help a tutor develop relevant lessons and encourage the learner when they are frustrated.
You may be familiar with these, but before we jump into tips for using goal setting with adults here is a reminder, here is one memory device for goal setting.
Tips For Goal Setting With Adults
Monitor Progress Regularly
Setting the goal is only the first step. Make discussing the goal and checking in on progress part of your regular routine with students. If it is a huge goal, break it down into smaller goals, and monitor those rather than the larger goal. As much as possible, make this visible. Checklists, charts, or even just keeping a list of accomplishments in the front of a notebook can help a student truly see progress. Keep in mind that many adults have faced obstacles and discouragement often. Finding ways to celebrate even small gains can help overcome the mental barriers learners face.
Evaluate Needed Changes
We all live in a fast paced world. Goals may change. If the student’s original goal was to get a job, and a few months in, you learn they need to pass the driving test, it may be wise to pause one goal in favor of another. You may also realize the goal the student set isn’t as important to them as it used to be. A student also may have an unreasonable timeline or encounter a set back, such as illness. Being flexible and helping students be reasonable with themselves is important.
Prioritize
Depending on the ambitions or needs of the student, they may come with a lot of goals. By helping students prioritize and focus on goals in a meaningful order. Goals are a critical part of motivation, but too many goals can become overwhelming for students AND tutors. Discussing how the student wan0ts to prioritize goals also helps you connect with each other and understand the best ways to keep learning relevant.
Encourage Self Reflection
In the beginning, the tutor may need to model reflecting on the goal and progress. If so, use positive phrasing and focus on the student’s thoughts. Over time, the student should be reflecting on their progress and the value of their own goals.
Connect Student Work To Student Progress
Point out to the student how their lesson or study habits are building towards their goal. An example might be, “I know it feels like you aren’t getting to your goal, but you haven’t missed a lesson in 6 weeks. That commitment will pay off.” Another example is, “This lesson is on verbs. Using verbs correctly will be an important part of written assignments in your later coursework on your GED.”
Identify Obstacles
Early on in the process, discuss some obstacles that may arise. Talking this through beforehand not only helps you both prepare, it also opens the door for honest conversation as the obstacles arise. Many learners do not realize that everyone comes up against obstacles or makes mistakes and this conversation normalizes facing barriers and dealing with them head on. Talking this through early shows them that you are there to help and okay with them sharing these struggles with you.
What Do I Do If My Students Says They Don't Have Any Goals?
Goal setting can be new for some students or can feel overwhelming. Depending on the traumas or negative learning experiences of the student, they may be hesitant or embarrassed about their goals and needs. First, work on building trust and connection with the student. Then, here are some questions that can help your student identify their goals.
- What job or jobs sound interesting to you?
- In 1 year, how would you like your life to be the same and different? 5 years?
- What is one reason you signed up for this class?
- What is one part of your daily life that frustrates you?
- What types of things would you like to be able to read? Or What situations would you like to be able to use English in?
- What is one thing you think I could help you with?
Don't Forget!
As a tutor, you are likely the representative of your literacy organization who sees the student most. Be sure to communicate with the staff of your council when students set a new goal or accomplish even a small part of the goal!
