The Induction Interview

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Dear Kay,

Introduction

First, congratulations! You have passed the interview and are preparing to enter on the induction period, when you will sit-in with pairs of tutor and student and have a chance to see what they do. The wide range of needs and ways of meeting them may well surprise you. These experiences may or may not provide you with a starting-point when you sit down with your own student but there are certain steps, which need to be taken initially.

Communications

Your Supervising Tutor will have taken pains to match you and will wish to know from both you and the student that you are both happy in your partnership, so don’t hesitate to turn to him or her. Especially, be sure to share with your Supervising Tutor any information about the student, which affects their comfort or happiness. Confidentiality is important but it means seeking help when necessary on your student’s behalf and if in doubt then let your Supervising Tutor decide what is necessary.

Talking to your Student

Get to know your student. Talk is not skiving, it is essential. Remember, what your student cannot say or what he cannot understand when he hears it, he will not be able to read. You will recall this when we talk about the Language Experience Approach later on.

Reading to your Student

Reading aloud to your student is an excellent way of bonding with him. If they have any reading matter that holds their interest or if you can provide any then put it on the table, not in front of you but squarely in front of the student. This may involve you craning your neck a little but better you than them. When you read, point to the words with a pen or pencil. Where do you point, at the tops of words or at the bottoms; that is under or over the line? Remember, the tops of words are more recognisable than the bottoms. To test this take a line of print and cover, first the tops of the words and then the bottoms, and you will readily see which is more identifiable

Start with their name and address

Ask your student to write down his or her name and address and ‘phone number for you. If they hesitate at any point give them the help they need. There are a few occasions when it is appropriate to ask the student to try and remember something but to try to remember something you have never known is a very, very anxious procedure and to be avoided. If your student (let’s give him a name, shall we?), if John stumbles over ‘Grove’ and you give him the spelling, preferably in writing, then when he has finished ask him to find the word ‘Grove’. He will have a recent memory of the word and it is on the page in front of him, he has only to scan for it. The process of finding it reinforces what he has learnt and success gives him confidence.

Forgive me for giving you so much at once but first steps are important. Next time I shall talk about your own handwriting and how to make it useful for your student.

Good luck, best wishes and enjoy your work.

Gladys Glascoe