TLP CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

1. How can my child get one-on-one tutoring at TLP?
2. What is the difference between the programs available to my child?
3. What are my child’s options in the summer?
4. What if my child is already paired with a tutor and I want to continue?
5. Are you a teacher or interested in volunteering?

TLP ADULT PROGRAM

1. What is the skill level of your adult students?
2. Will my work or child’s school schedule conflict with the tutoring or class schedules?
3. What types of classes does TLP offer?
4. How can I get individual tutoring?
5. I am interested in tutoring or attending a class, who should I contact?

LA PUERTA ABIERTA

1. What is the focus of this program and how is it different from the ESL classes at Teton Literacy?
2. What are the specific programs within La Puerta Abierta?
3. Can one participate in these programs separately?
4. What other services are available through the Gateway Program?
5. Is there a program fee?
6. Who do I contact for more information?

TLP VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

1. Who are the students?
2. How long will I tutor?
3. How often will I tutor?
4. Where can I tutor?
5. How do I know what my student’s skill level is?
6. Where do I get books and materials to use with my student?
7. What information do I need to keep track of?

What If…
My student goes on vacation?
My student misses a session?
My student misses several classes in a row for an unknown reason?
My student quits?
I go on vacation?
I move?
I have any other questions?

TLP CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

1. How can my child get one-on-one tutoring at TLP? The elementary school teachers of TCSD #1 receive information from TLP about our programs for children. The teachers make the decision about the children in their classroom and whether to recommend them for our After-School Reading Program (1st and 2nd grade), our Buddy Reading Program (3rd, 4th, and 5th grade) or our In-School Reading Support Program.* If your child qualifies for either of the two private tutoring programs, your teacher will contact you and refer your child to Teton Literacy Program where our staff will contact you with further information. Our decisions are based on children who have the highest need and who are at the highest risk for falling behind in a classroom without one-on-one attention.

*If your child is not a student in the school district, you may contact us for a personal assessment.

2. What is the difference between the programs available to my child? The After-School Reading Program is specifically for 1st and 2nd graders. If your child is selected through the referral and interview process, he/she will be paired with a private tutor with whom your child will commit to meeting twice a week for the entire school year from 3:30-4:30 PM. This program is the most intensive and requires the most dedication by the student and parents.

The Buddy Reading Program is designed for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. If your child is selected through the referral and interview process, he/she will be paired with a private tutor with whom your child will commit to meeting once a week for the entire school year from 4:45-5:45pm. Pairings can continue indefinitely, according to the needs and interests of both the tutor and the student.

The In-School Reading Support Program applies to students in 1st-5th grade. Your child’s teacher indicates times during the school day when they would benefit from additional support from trained TLP tutors. The teacher identifies his or her needs and the TLP tutor assists in the class activities for however many hours deemed necessary. This is not a one-on-one tutoring session, however it is a good alternative if your child cannot commit to a weekly after-school meeting.

3. What are my child’s options in the summer? Teton Literacy offers private tutoring and special workshops over the summer. Contact us about more details as we approach the end of the academic year. Our week-long workshops focus on poetry, story-telling, story writing and more to keep the kids excited about reading during the summer.

4. What if my child is already paired with a tutor and I want to continue? You will need to speak with the Children’s Program Coordinator, who will contact the tutor and hopefully set up a schedule. Amy writes lesson plans and oversees the tutoring pairs.

5. Are you a teacher or interested in volunteering? Speak with the Director of Children’s Services, who can assist you with further questions. Our Children's Program staff conducts volunteer orientations and workshops for parents of students who receive tutoring so that the family is fully aware of the services available to his or her child.

TETON LITERACY ADULT PROGRAM

1. What is the skill level of your adult students? Our students have a wide range of experience from native English speaking non-readers to English Language Learners from diverse countries. The majority of our students are Spanish speaking. Some students have recently arrived to the valley, while others have been here for a year or more.

2. Will my work or child’s school schedule conflict with the tutoring or class schedules? We understand that many of our adult students have a busy day-to-day schedule, so our classes consist of morning (10-12pm) and evening (6-8pm) classes Monday-Thurs. Once a student is eligible for a private tutor, the pair can schedule a time (2hrs/week min.) as best fits their schedule.

3. What types of classes does TLP offer? All ESL (English as a Second Language) courses focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, cultural awareness and survival language for work or community involvement. The classes are geared towards meeting the immediate needs of the students and focusing on long-term goals.

Adult ESL Classes: We offer two, 12-week sessions of Adult English Classes throughout the year that are separated into levels I, II and III. Class placement is determined during registration (the week prior to classes) with a short interview, a formal computer test and a writing assessment. The first session is usually from September-November and the second session runs from January-March. Students are required to attend classes twice a week that are offered either Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesdays/Thursday from 6-8pm. In order to complete the 12-week session, a student must be in attendance for 80% of the classes, a high level of commitment from the student. Levels I and II have about 15 students while Level III has roughly 3-8 students. These classes are $70 for the 12 week session.

Work-Based Classes: Another alternative to the Adult ESL class is the collaborative work-based classes with Central Wyoming College. These classes have a more focused content pertaining to: English for Housekeeping, English for Construction and Landscaping Workers, and Women’s Life Skills. These classes are offered for 2 sessions: Fall and Spring.

Drop-In Classes: The Drop-in classes are for students who have no English speaking skills and who have never studied the language before. They are also helpful because these classes do not require regular attendance or registration, so a student can attend when he or she are able to. For the student, these classes are a of a lower commitment level, however it is necessary to attend if he/she wants to later sign up for an Adult ESL course. The drop-in classes are offered Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10am-12pm and Monday/Wednesday from 6-8pm. The cost is only $2/class. The morning Drop-in class lasts all year, while the evening class is only offered when necessary.

4. How can I get individual tutoring? A student is eligible for one-on-one tutoring after completing one 12 week session of classes (Levels I, II or III). At the end of the session, the students fill out an application to apply for private tutoring. Our hope is that our students view the prospect of a private tutor as a distinct privilege and something to work towards.

5. I am interested in tutoring or attending a class, who should I contact? For information about classes, class registration, recruitment, volunteering, individual tutoring, or scheduling, contact the Director of Adult Services at 733-9242

LA PUERTA ABIERTA PROJECT

1. What is the focus of this program and how is it different from the ESL classes at Teton Literacy? La Puerta Abierta (The Open Door) is a program for entire families adapting to a new culture, as opposed to individual students. Parents and children participate together in the programs and events which allow the family to grow as a unit in a new environment while cultivating respect and love for each other and their own culture. This program differs from ESL classes in that, it provides a bridge that connects families to the larger Jackson community and prepares families for the delivery of needed services.

2. What are the specific programs within La Puerta Abierta? The Gateway Program enhances the family’s ability to use existing services and resources in the community while enrolled, as well as when they graduate from La Puerta Abierta. The Project Coordinator works closely with all families to determine their needs, before referring them to the program that best serves those needs. Additionally, the coordinator works with many local service providers on an ongoing basis throughout the program, so the coordinator is well informed about new programs and available services.

Amistades (Friendships) is an out-of-school program that prepares students in grades 1-5 for integration into existing programs where by using a dual-language immersion teaching model. (The family must have at least one child in grades 1-5). The curriculum and activities address the cultural, language and socio-economic barriers facing Latino youth in the Jackson community. The program hopes to employ a dual immersion teaching model to value native language literacy and facilitate English language acquisition in the future. Amistades has been developed as a summer program, offering literacy based instruction two days a week for 10 weeks.

The Parent Program prepares families for existing services and refers them to the most appropriate available service. This aspect of the program is offered to adults in order to improve their ability to support their children’s studies and to seek better employment; the program will implement ESL classes for parents beginning in fall 2005 in 9-week sessions. This curriculum focuses on increasing parents’ English language proficiency, their connection to their child’s school, and their ability to support their child’s language and literacy development, targeted for parents who speak a language other than English and who have children in kindergarten through third grade.

-A financial literacy class is offered through La Puerta, as part of Casey Family Fund's "Powerful Families" curriculum, which also include "Parents as Advocates" and "Parents as Leaders." Each of these is a 9-week class that is offered once during the year.

3. Can one participate in these programs separately? The idea behind the project is to emphasize the importance of the family unit, so the program is only offered to a family who is willing to participate fully in all aspects of the program.

4. What other services are available through the Gateway Program? La Puerta Abierta helps the parents become aware of the network of services that are available to them. We are in contact with services such as: El Puente, the Latino Resource Center, CCP (Community Children’s Project), The Teton County Library, The Learning Center, and Teton County School District.

5. Is there a program fee? The program is free however, on the occasion that there are special programs planned with the Art Association, families may need to pay. There are also scholarships available for this purpose.

6. Who do I contact for more information? For any questions contact the La Puerta Abierta Project Coordinator at 733-9242.

TETON LITERACY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

1. Who are the students? The Teton Literacy Program (TLP) provides tutoring services and resources to enable all people of Teton County to achieve functional literacy by speaking, reading, writing and understanding English. The students served include English as a Second Language (ESL) children or Adult Basic Education (ABE) adults. ESL students are immigrants or refugees whose first language is not English and who need to improve English communication skills. ABE students may be native or non-native English speakers who need help improving basic literacy.

2. How long will I tutor? TLP asks for a minimum commitment of six months. At the end of six months, you may choose to continue or have your student assigned to another tutor.

3. How often will I tutor? We require a commitment of 2-4 hours per week. The average tutor and student meet twice a week for 1 hour, or once a week for 2 hours. Work with your student to come up with a schedule that is convenient for the both of you.

4. Where can I tutor? Tutors meet their students in several different locations. Space is available at the TLP office, Teton County Library, churches, and restaurants. Tutoring must be arranged in public places, tutoring in a private home is expressly prohibited.

5. How do I know what my student’s skill level is? All students that come to TLP go through an intake process. Each student is interviewed, completes an intake form, and is given an assessment/placement test. The program is currently using the BEST (Basic English Skills Test) for adult placement and the PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening) test for children’s evaluations. TLP staff uses both the test score and the information gathered in an interview to place the student in an appropriate level or program.

6. Where do I get books and materials to use with my student? A lending library is maintained here at the TLP office. The materials are available for check-out by students and tutors for a two week period. You are welcome to browse and borrow anything that looks interesting. The Teton County Library also has materials available for check-out. If you are working with the children’s program, teachers often provide materials suitable for the child with whom you are working. If you have any questions about specific materials, or if you need some suggestions on appropriate things to use with your student, please make an appointment with a staff member.

7. What information do I need to keep track of? At the end of every month you are expected to turn in a tutor log which tracks the number of hours you have met with your student and includes any prep time, goals and materials. In addition, we ask for an example of student work to be turned in along with your tutor log. This work will be kept in a student portfolio.

Student progress is also very important. We ask for a more detailed progress report to be turned in bi-annually. Keep in mind, if your student reaches a major milestone, such as receiving citizenship, getting a driver’s license, getting a job or promotion, or passing the GED, our staff would love to hear about it!

WHAT IF...

My student goes on vacation? Enjoy your time off and arrange a time to meet after he/she returns.

My student misses a session? Let us know when your student misses a session. We will look up his/her phone number for you to call and follow up. If you or your student knows that they cannot make a session, please call the TLP office and we will inform the student or tutor.

My student misses several classes in a row for an unknown reason? After the first missed session, contact the Teton Literacy Program office to see if he/she no longer wishes to study.

My student quits? You can decide if you would like to be assigned a new student, or if you would like to stop tutoring. There is always a list of students waiting for a tutor, so if one match doesn’t work out, there is always the opportunity to try again!

I go on vacation? Have fun! Tell your student and TLP staff ahead of time that you will be out of town. You can give him/her an assignment to do while you are gone.

I move? Please contact the Teton Literacy Program with your new address and telephone number. If you move to another part of the valley, and it is no longer convenient to meet with your student, let our staff know so we can reassign your student. If you will no longer be in Jackson, please inform us so that we may remove your name from our active volunteers file.

I have any other questions? Please call the Teton Literacy Program at 733-9242 or email info@tetonliteracy.org.

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