- Demonstrate one of the techniques from the handout with a volunteer who acts as a learner. Ask tutors to note the steps you take in this demonstration; in other words, ask them to watch both what you are demonstrating and how you are demonstrating it.
- Tell why this technique is useful (for example, it will help develop a visual memory for the word).
- Show each part of the technique, explaining as you go.
- Have your volunteer follow your instructions.
- Ask the “learner” and tutors if they have any questions about the technique.
- Answer any questions.
- Tell tutors that now they will demonstrate various spelling techniques.
- Show the resources that they can use for their demonstrations.
- Divide tutors into groups. Hopefully, there should be three groups of two to six tutors. Allocate a different learning style to each of the three groups.
- Give each person in the group the handout for the learning style they will be demonstrating. Tell tutors that they will receive all three pages at the end of the activity but that, for the purposes of this activity, each group uses only one learning style.
- Within each group, tutors will be role-playing pairs of tutors and learners. (If you are doing individual tutor training, the tutor can practise with you as the learner.)
- If there are any tutors who prefer not to do a demonstration in front of the whole group, let them gracefully bow out, or look at alternative ways of having them share their technique.
- Ask tutors to follow the steps they observed you taking when you were demonstrating a technique.
- Have tutors prepare their demonstration.
- The tutors pick partners. The pair then chooses a technique to prepare and demonstrate to the rest of the tutors. Give them 10 minutes to prepare.
- You will have several pairs demonstrating if you have large groups, and you need to be sure that the pairs representing each learning style all demonstrate different techniques. They will have to plan which pairs are doing which techniques. If you don’t have much time, consider just having each learning style group show one technique together.
- Each pair demonstrates a technique from their sheet. Prompt them to follow the steps that you followed in your demonstration.
- Make sure that each pair is thanked for their participation.
- Give tutors the other two pages that they did not receive originally. Mention that spelling can also be taught using the other learning styles and preferences covered in Unit 3, Learning Styles.
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