Volunteers Brighten Lives!
24W500 Maple Avenue, Naperville, Illinois 60540
630.416.6699
May 2019
 

Greetings! As we meet with tutors and learners we continue to be impressed with the increased skill development and accomplishments of your students. Your role as a tutor is an essential key to learners achieving their goals and realizing opportunities and fulfilling some of their dreams. Thank you for your compassion and empathy for our students and their families.  Volunteerism is not just about completing and task for fulfilling a need.  It connects us to the people and places around us. We could not achieve our mission without your dedication and hard work.    You are invaluable!

From All of Us at Literacy DuPage
Peer Tutor Mentor Tip
provided by Tutor/Trainer/Mentor, Karen Fuist
With spring on its way, it is a good time to help our students to have conversations about the weather. It's good small talk for them to use when they want to have a conversation.

Levels 0 - 1
* Use your Oxford Picture Dictionary (OPD) to help the student understand weather vocabulary. Ask "Yes/No" questions about the vocabulary about weather in the OPD. Use the T chart to write down your student's responses. Worksheet#1
* Talk about the weather. "How's the weather?"
Use worksheets #2, #3 (answer key), and #4 to help your student answer this question.
Click here to access the worksheet #1
Click here  to access the worksheet #2
Click here to access the worksheet #3
Click here to access the worksheet #4


Level 2-3 (All of the above)
* Discuss today's weather using a Weather App on your phone.
Fill in worksheet #5 using the App or look out the window!
Discuss what to wear today, or during the spring using worksheet #6. Do the word search for homework. Worksheet #7
Click here to access the worksheet #5
Click here to access the worksheet #6
Click here to access the worksheet #7


Levels 4-5 (All of the above)
* Using worksheet #2 classify what the weather is like in winter, spring, summer, fall. Worksheet #8
Then using worksheet #6 classify what you should wear in winter, spring, summer, fall. Worksheet #9
* Play the board game about seasons and weather. Worksheet #10
* Use worksheets #11, #12, and #13 to talk, read and write about weather and the seasons.
Click here to access the worksheet #8
Click here to access the worksheet #9
Click here to access the worksheet #10
Click here to access the worksheet #11
 Click here to access the worksheet #12
Click here to access the worksheet #13
 

Levels 6 and up (All of the above)
* Use a Weather App on you phone to complete Worksheet #14.
* Introduce natural disaster vocabulary using worksheet #15.
* Read worksheet #16. Use the Question Hierarchy to discuss the article. Worksheet #17
* Do the experiment at home with their children. Worksheet #18
* Use the Natural Disaster word search for homework. Worksheet #19

Click here to access the worksheet #14
Click here to access the worksheet #15
Click here  to access the worksheet #16
Click here to access the worksheet #17
Click here to access the worksheet #18
Click here to access the worksheet #19
Click here to access the worksheet #19a


Thanks to everyone who helped with all these ideas!!!


Activity Links

Conversation Topic
 for May
"Love and marriage"
Some of the conversation starters this month include questions,  such as . . .

→ How romantic are you?

→ What are weddings like in your country?

You can access the full conversation starter activity by clicking  here.
The Story of  May
Mother's Day

North Americans celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May.
Most people send or give cards to their mothers. Some also give
flowers or other gifts. It's popular to take your mother out to eat, or  cook a meal for her.

Many cultures have celebrated mothers for thousands of years. In the  United States, after the Civil War, some women thought there should  be a day when mothers could promote peace. One of the women who  worked for this was the mother of Anna Jarvis. Anna was proud of her  mother, and in 1914 she finally got the U.S. government to make  Mother's Day an official holiday.
Later, Anna was sorry she had done this. She saw that many
companies were using Mother's Day to make money selling cards and  gifts. She said: "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit!"

Although people spend money on Mother's Day, most of them feel the  important thing is to love and honor their mothers on that day and  every day.

(Source: Each Week for a Year
Readings for ESL Students on Everyday Life in the USA
By Jane Wangersky, pg 27-28)
Health Literacy Curriculum
Here is an intermediate-level story about getting a prescription filled. This is a good introduction to the topic and to the crossword puzzle links:





If your students are beginners, you could introduce the topic by first relating a brief true story about going to the pharmacy.
Illustrate your story with pictures, drawings or real-life items. With this oral introduction, the students will be better able to understand the story below, which you can read aloud and discuss with them.

Vocabulary challenge: The pharmacy lessons may seem very vocabulary-heavy and a bit challenging, but some of these things are crucial for the students to know. It's worth making some extra effort to help them understand. You could bring in some real package labels for various non-prescription drugs and study them together.

Curriculum Resources:  Below are two links which offer well developed lessons for beginner through advanced level students developing and practicing with  language needed in the contexts of the pharmacy and medicine.



Advanced level: Read a news article, "UN warns of deadly fake medicine"
Health Literacy Awareness Topics  for May
In observance of Health Awareness for May, click on the links below to view some helpful resources on these important topics: 

ESL Holiday Lessons - World Asthma Day

What People With Asthma Can Do to Keep It Under Control
Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.