Tutor Toolkit
Welcome to your resource hub! This page is designed to support you with a collection of tools, tips, and materials to help you succeed in guiding our students.
Whether you’re looking for teaching strategies, worksheets, or digital tools, you’ll find everything you need right here. Explore the resources, try new techniques, and feel confident as you help students reach their goals!
If you have any questions about this page, please speak to one of the Volunteer Coordinators
Lindsey Myers or Christine Lee
Tutor Forum (Seeds)
This forum is for Seeds of Literacy volunteers to connect with each other, ask and answer questions, share tips, and receive help from staff.
Please do not post student names in this forum to protect their privacy. Your post will be deleted if you use a student’s name.
Student Resources (Seeds)
Have a student that wants to study on their own? Take a peek at what’s available in our Student Resources to see if you can incorporate concepts they may have learned on their own during your next tutoring session.
Recorded Professional Development Workshops (Seeds)
YouTube (Seeds videos)
Take a look through the videos on our Seeds YouTube channel to find stories from students and tutors as well as a host of informational videos about a myriad of topics.
You may even find some instructional videos by fellow tutors, created during the pandemic closure.
Beginning & Emerging Reader Materials for Tutors
Click here to access materials for tutors working with Beginning Readers.
Topics Include:
- Comprehension
- Fluency
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Vocabulary
ProLiteracy Teacher Training Plus
ProLiteracy’s Teacher Training Plus program provides adult education instructors and tutors a professional development support system. Through a series of webinars, and small group workshops, tutors have a space to connect, ask questions, follow-up with one another, and feel supported by others in the field. With webinars focused on Basic Literacy and High School Equivalency (GED), you can hone your tutoring skills to better assist our students right here at Seeds of Literacy. This is a chance to learn more about working with adult students and be inspired by others tutoring for similar community-based organizations all over the country!
Explore for more!
Khan Academy
Created by experts, Khan Academy’s library of trusted, standards-aligned practice and lessons covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®, and more. It’s all free for learners and teachers. Browse their curriculum and videos to see if there are any materials that could prove useful in your tutoring!
Light & Salt Learning
Light & Salt Learning is an award-winning YouTube series teaching every subject of the GED.
GED Test Previews
Take a look at what our students will experience when taking the GED with official sample questions! If you’d like to take a full practice test, ask one of the Site Coordinators for the login information and use the second link.
Mental Health Information
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. They are the group that provided our Mental Health First Aid training and have a whole host of resources for supporting folks with mental illness.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
- National Association of Elementary School Principals’ Demystify DEI for New Teachers
- While this article was intended for school principals, there are some helpful tips for incorporating DEI practices in the classroom
LGBTQIA+ Information
Seeds of Literacy is a member of the Plexus LGBT and Allied Chamber of Commerce, which means we are an open and affirming organization that is a safe place to learn for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Check out some resources from the LGBT Center of Cleveland for more information on some popular topics and common questions. Founded in 1975, The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Greater Cleveland is a leading nonprofit organization that empowers Northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ community through advocacy, education, collaboration, and celebration.
No Student? ...Grading at Seeds
We’ve all seen “the pile”. If you are an in-person tutor without a student, consider grading some student packets. Try packets without the answer keys to give yourself extra practice!
How to Tell Others About Seeds
The statistics about illiteracy in our community are shocking — but very few people have heard them. We get it, it’s unpleasant to think about our community in this way. But the good news is, you can make a difference simply by spreading the word.
Download social media posts to share on your pages.
Why Adult Literacy Matters (pdf)
How Seeds Is Different from Other Adult Literacy Programs (pdf)
Other Adult Literacy Facts (pdf)
Profiles of Students and Other Tutors