Blogs

Meet VISTA Alum Christian McCleary

May 1, 2019

What was the highlight of your VISTA service with the Minnesota Literacy Council?
The ultimate highlight of my service was when I became a member of the Council for Black Male Success at the age of 19. I was a part of the council that was allocated 3 million dollars for 3 years to help support African American males ages 11-32 who reside in St. Paul.

clipart figure speaking through an orange bullhorn

I-We-You Method for Giving Directions

April 23, 2019

To learn more about the I-We-You method for giving directions, visit the Teacher Training Toolkit at http://mnliteracy.org/TrainingToolkit

3, 2, 1, Speak!

April 16, 2019

Purpose: to assist learners in developing their verbal summarizing skills.

Preparation Time: None

Materials Needed: None

Procedure:

Supporting Writing: Think, Draw, Say, Write, Read

April 12, 2019

Purpose: When faced with a writing assignment, students, especially English Language Learners, need time to generate ideas and vocabulary. Guiding students through the following steps will help them create writing that is richer than if they just sat down and started write.

Preparation Time: None

Materials Needed: None

Procedure:

1. Provide topic for the writing assignment.

2. Give them 2-3 minutes to sit and THINK about what they are going to write.

Navigation Resource: Bridges to Benefits

April 3, 2019

Bridges to Benefits is a great resource for tutors who are helping students look for benefits and services in the community.

The key feature of the site is a tool that will help assess eligibility for public support programs (food, housing, etc.). An individual answers a few questions about income and family structure and the screening tool will offer some POSSIBLE benefits and services. Individuals will need to then follow-up with programs directly.

1, 2, 3, Speak!

March 27, 2019

Purpose: Free speaking can be challenging for learners of all levels. This activity helps learners to develop comfort with speaking for longer periods, and to improve their ability to add details and information to a story.

Preparation Time: None

Materials Needed: None

Procedure: