Creating Learning Partners: A facilitator’s guide for training effective adult literacy tutors

Activity B (optional activity)

What do I see and feel

Tutors participate in a simple writing exercise based on pictures.

Why choose this activity?

This gives tutors a chance to participate in an exercise that they can use to help learners expand their vocabulary.

Group work
Materials and equipment Large, interesting picture Flip chart and markers Tape Preparation Find a large, interesting picture. STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS The idea for this activity comes from Denise Theunissen’s The Writing Clinic, published in 999 by Bow Valley College in Calgary. Pull out the large and interesting picture that you have found. Tape it on the flip chart. Write “What I See” on the flip chart. Ask tutors to pick one object in the picture to talk about for this part of the exercise. As for a description of the object, ask for a basic word to state what this is and what it is doing. For example, with a picture of a boy flying a kite, they might focus on the kite and describe it as a kite and use the word flying to describe what the kite is doing. Repeat the words and write them down (flying kite). State that the learner may only have this to give to the exercise. Then add an adjective, adverb or more descriptive noun or verb yourself. Say that you could add a few more descriptive words if the learner is interested in the picture. Next to where you wrote “What I See,” write the words “What I Feel.” Then ask “What do you feel about this picture?” Ask for a basic word first and then get tutors to give more detailed feeling descriptions as they might in a lesson. Your tutors might say “happy” for the kite-flying picture and then add more descriptive words or phrases. Suggest that this could lead to paragraph writing for more advanced learners.

Group work

Materials and equipment

Large, interesting picture
Flip chart and markers
Tape

Preparation

Find a large, interesting picture.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

The idea for this activity comes from Denise Theunissen’s The Writing Clinic, published in 999 by Bow Valley College in Calgary.

Pull out the large and interesting picture that you have found. Tape it on the flip chart.
Write “What I See” on the flip chart. Ask tutors to pick one object in the picture to talk about for this part of the exercise. As for a description of the object, ask for a basic word to state what this is and what it is doing. For example, with a picture of a boy flying a kite, they might focus on the kite and describe it as a kite and use the word flying to describe what the kite is doing. Repeat the words and write them down (flying kite). State that the learner may only have this to give to the exercise. Then add an adjective, adverb or more descriptive noun or verb yourself. Say that you could add a few more descriptive words if the learner is interested in the picture.
Next to where you wrote “What I See,” write the words “What I Feel.” Then ask “What do you feel about this picture?” Ask for a basic word first and then get tutors to give more detailed feeling descriptions as they might in a lesson. Your tutors might say “happy” for the kite-flying picture and then add more descriptive words or phrases. Suggest that this could lead to paragraph writing for more advanced learners.