NALA is hosting the National Forum for Adult Literacy Tutors on 26 January 2013. The event will focus on teaching strategies for working with adult literacy and numeracy students. There will be speakers in the morning and each participant will be able to attend 2 different workshops on the day. The event will take place in All Hallows College in Drumcondra, Dublin 9. The event is free for all adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL tutors.

Just fill out this booking the booking form below, selecting your preferred workshops, and email to speel@nala.ie to secure your place.

National Forum for Adult Literacy Tutors 2013

Teaching strategies for working with adult literacy and numeracy students

Saturday 26 January 2013

10.30 am to 4.00 pm

All Hallows College, Grace Park Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9

Programme

10.00   Registration and coffee/tea

10.30   Welcome and opening remarks. Chairperson: Olive Phelan, Student in An Cosán and NALA student sub-committee

10.40   NALA update

Fergus Dolan, Literacies Development Worker, NALA

10.50   Multiple literacies, multiple intelligences:  Expanding strategies for reading comprehension. Moira Greene, ALO, Co. Clare VEC

11.10   Learning numeracy together: Problem solving and linking learning to students’ everyday lives. Daniel Sellers, Educational consultant

11.30   Questions and Answers

11.45 – 1.15    Morning workshops                                                                                       

• Synthetic phonics for adults: Our complex code is teachable and learnable! – Bernie McGinley, ESOL Coordinator and ESOL , Technology and literacy tutor, Co Dublin VEC
• Strategies for teaching reading – Germaine Cahill, Adult literacy trainer
• Assessment and planning: How to review students’ progress – Helen McHugh, Adult literacy trainer and tutor, Co Donegal VEC
• Tips and strategies for making your numeracy class active – Angela Cahill, Resource worker and Clare Campbell, Numeracy tutor, Co Louth VEC
• Strategies for teaching spelling – Kathie Hamilton, Adult literacy tutor, Wordaid, Co Kilkenny VEC
• Strategies for integrating technology into adult literacy and numeracy classes – Kevin Kelly and Diane Keane, City of Galway VEC
• Effective lesson planning – Janna Tiearney, Resource Worker (Programme development and Quality Assurance), Co Cavan VEC

1.15     Lunch

2.30 – 4.00      Workshops repeated in the afternoon

Information on the presentations and workshops:

Presentations:

Multiple literacies, multiple intelligences:  Expanding strategies for reading comprehension

This presentation will give a quick snapshot of the way texts have developed, the complexities of text types and various media that we are expected to sort, read and interpret today.  It will examine new understanding in the way we use multiple intelligences during reading.  Finally, it will look at some practical suggestions for how to apply this new understanding in the classroom.  Some of these will be familiar, but hopefully some ideas will be new.

Learning numeracy together: Problem solving and linking learning to students’ everyday lives

This presentation will demonstrate three strategies for teaching numeracy, focusing on active and collaborative learning, problem-solving and linking learning to learners’ everyday lives.

Workshops:

Linguistic phonics for adults: Our complex code is teachable and learnable!

This workshop will introduce the principle of linguistic (synthetic) phonics.  It will explore the English sounds and alphabetic language code, showing its regularities and patterns. It aims to demonstrate that decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) at a faster and more accurate rate can be facilitated using a systematically structured programme.

Strategies for teaching reading

This workshop will explore the different adult-orientated approaches to help a learner improve their reading skills. It will demonstrate the difficulties involved in learning to read and will examine the different reading levels of adult learners.  It will also discuss how to integrate writing skills into the learning session.

Assessment and planning: How to review students’ progress

In this workshop, we will discuss the role and purpose of assessment and planning in adult basic education. We will identify different stages of the assessment and planning process and highlight a variety of methods tutors can use to review students’ progress.

Tips and strategies for making your numeracy class active

Active learning engages people to become critically involved in the learning process. This workshop will examine practical methods to help make the numeracy classroom more hands-on and active. Participants will get the chance to try out a number of different teaching strategies and explore how they may adapt the methods to their own practice.

Strategies for teaching spelling

This workshop will offer an overview of English spelling. It will look at motivation and what’s involved for the student and tutor. It will discuss diagnosing student’s spelling abilities.  The workshop will consider approaches to spelling and offer practical exercises to explore strategies for spelling, as well as looking at sample lessons incorporating multisensory approaches.

Strategies for integrating technology into adult literacy and numeracy classes

This workshop will explore the interactive relationship between literacy and technology. It will be a practical demonstration of teaching tips and strategies which aim to integrate technology in the classroom. It will be based on actual classes where a social practice approach and learner autonomy is promoted.

Effective Lesson Planning

This workshop will examine the purpose, principles and elements of good lesson planning. It will include advice on:

• objectives and goals
• examples of learning statements
• lesson starter ideas,
• direct instruction including modelling
• giving guided practice and checking understanding
• ways to wrap-up
• giving learners the opportunity for independent practice
• materials and resources required
• assessment, evaluation and follow up

Note: If you send in a booking form for this event, you can assume that you have a place. We will only contact you if there are no places left.

There is free parking available at All Hallows College.

There is no charge for attending this event.