Other learning activities
Learning objectives of module:
- To explore additional ideas and resources to use with students when they do not have homework to complete
- To practise using various tutoring techniques e.g., written conversation, cloze exercises, etc.
Time: 15 minutes
Materials:
- A Tutor’s Guide: Reading and Writing with Children and Youth (pages 23 to 26)
- Magazines, books, games, etc., appropriate for the ages and levels of students in the homework club
Step One – Explain how they can use additional resources
Explain that students sometimes do not bring any homework to the homework club. In some cases, students “forget” their homework because they think they will be able to just chat with their tutors. Stress to tutors that they must not allow the homework club to become a place for students to socialize. (Once this happens, it is very difficult to change the focus back to learning and homework.) Emphasize that tutors should remind students to bring homework to the homework club.
Step Two – Brainstorm resources
Brainstorm (either in the large group or in small groups) suggestions for activities that tutors can do when students do not bring homework.
- If the homework club focuses on children in grades K to 3 – or older students who have difficulty reading – other learning activities can be:
- Word games – word searches and board games like Scrabble and Upwords which focus on learning words.
- Reading books ‐– brainstorm with tutors the characteristics of good books.
- Cloze exercises – tutors remove some words from a piece of writing. Students then have to figure out where to place these words in the text.
It is very effective during the tutor training to distribute a cloze exercise based on a current popular song and play the song for the tutors. As well, Mad Libs can also be used very effectively in tutor trainings. Mad Libs are very similar to cloze exercises and help students identify the different parts of speech.
- Writing activities - Write a story, a journal entry, a poem, song or a written conversation.
- If your homework club focuses on students in grade 4 and up - and has an emphasis on the thinking process - other learning activities can include:
- researching a topic
- writing letters to the editors of newspapers or magazines
- producing a “zine”
- reading good literature (start a bookclub!)
- reading non-fiction books