Calling anyone who knows anything about teaching!!

[staceym11]

Right there is a long story behind this and i will explain a bit. My cousin was bullied badly at school and it got so bad he moved to Australia to live with his dad and go to school there but things havn't worked out (more financially than anything) and he's having to come back.

He is refusing to go to school back here but has been accepted onto a college-cum-training course to be a builder but he has to be 15 years and 3 months. he comes home the end of this month and turns 15 in november so he'll be here for 5 months without a structured school.

it will be impossible for my auntie to afford a private tutor and to tell you the truth if she tried to educate him he'd just end up more confused. So i've voluteered to tutor him for 3 days a week (5 hour days) or 5 days a week (3 hour days) but although i can do the basics etc i havnt had any tutoring experience, heres where the problem lies.

he is nearly 15 but his reading age is 8 and spellings are around 7 etc etc etc. so how do i approach teaching him? all the books suitable for his age are too advanced but the ones suitable for his acedemic age are too babyish! please give me some ideas!!!

(sorry so long!)

I am sure there are books available. Look at some literacy sites or contact a local adult literacy group. Good luck

anyhelp?

could he not attend a study centre part time? These are for disaffected teenagers and often not part of the school site. It's a lot to take on for you. You could try calling your loca LEA for advice and curriculum reccomendations - there are lots of reading schemes out there for boys/girls who's reading age is much lower than chronological age. good luck with this

thanks for the help, will get onto my local council and see what they can advise/pass me on to!

This may be suitable:

Stairway to Reading: FREE, online, remedial tutoring programme www.societyforqualityeducation.org/stairway.html
A one-on-one remedial reading program for students of any age who have already received some reading instruction but who are struggling with reading.

Good luck. I think you are going to have a tough five months.

There is a reading programme called Toe by Toe designed for adults who cant read. You would mentor him and he would spend half an hour a day on the exercises. Toe by Toe has been successfully used to teach people in prison how to read and isnt babyish.

www.toe-by-toe.co.uk/prison_project.html

I think with a 14 year old you would have to ask him what his interests are. 14 year olds can be unbelivably stroppy. Prehaps some basic cooking or other life skills would be good. Is there any way he could have a go at car maintaince. Could let him to a local Gym and do some sport to help with the excess hormones as well as being a treat for hard work.

I would recomend the local adult literacy department in your area. They will have access to more age approriate books that could help. In addition there are also some 'short read' books publised by people like Ruth Rendel etc, but these too many be above his reading age.

You could also look into his working towards an adult leteracy award, which is equivalent to a GCSE.

HTH

thos link might be helpful

DH and I both teachers and it sounds like if the kid doesn't want to go to school then trying to replicate it at home might not be the best way forward. Remember, you only have to educate him in the broadest sense of the word, not to targets or national curriculum or what we traditionally understand as school. If he is this turned off school then you're going to have to be very cunning and get him to learn as if by accident - he has to be interested in the subject matter (building for example - but anything will do, a pop group, a weather phenomenon, bikes, sport, whatever really) and then guide him as he tries to find out more (internet, library, trips etc)- help him pick up vocabulary on the way, do a bit of maths and science without him realising it. You will have to be totally on your toes with grabbing opportunities. You have a fantastic chance to switch him on to learning without him even noticing. Try seeking out some home schoolers of teenagers in your locality - maybe through health visitor or internet. Stay open minded and enjoy it - really hope it works out!