by Val Diggle

Created on: November 19, 2009   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

As recently as a generation ago, it was possible to leave school with little or no functional literacy and find some kind of work in the community. In the developed world, this kind of opportunity is now virtually non-existent. Western culture is so saturated with text that astonishing levels of resourcefulness are required to live in it without being able to read. Most of us would find the challenge insurmountable. Reading permeates the world at every stage of life, in every culture. There may be philosophical differences between cultures about what constitutes a good education, but being literate is high on every culture's educational agenda.

If you are reading this, you are one of the fortunate ones who has mastered this essential 21st century skill. If you are reading this because you are thinking about becoming a reading support tutor, or are already working in that role, but are curious about how to become more effective, then you are already in a good position. The best reading support tutors are self-motivated, driven to do the best possible job they can, in sometimes challenging circumstances.

Other important qualities to bring to the role include strong inter-personal skills. Typically, the support tutor will work with individual students or with very small groups, and the relationships within these situations can be fairly intense. It is essential then that the tutor is able to strike up a good rapport with student readers quickly. A friendly, relaxed and confident manner will make the student feel as if they are in good hands and create an atmosphere in which the learning process can flourish.

An effective reading support tutor also needs to be a good communicator, able to articulate, clearly and simply, what is required from the student, in terms of completing the reading task in hand effectively. The tutor needs to be observant, noticing small improvements and quick to affirm these, by praising the student and consolidating a sense of progress. This progress may at times be painfully slow, and so a good reading support tutor will need stacks of patience, resilience, an optimistic personality and the kind of resourceful disposition that will adapt a variety of approaches to the reading task. This will help to ensure that the reading experience shared by the tutor and the student remains enjoyable and stimulating for both parties. Excellent organisational skills are clearly an advantage here, so that an individual's progress can be recorded

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