Literacy Tutoring That Works —
Abstract of

Chapter 12
The Professional Development of Three Graduate Student Mentors in a University-Based After-School Program for Struggling Readers

Nina L. Nilsson

This chapter describes a multiple case study examining the transformation of three graduate student mentors who worked with tutors in an after-school tutoring program for struggling readers. Consistent with the program's community-of-practice framework, mentors guided small groups of tutors in problem-solving, administering assessments, and making children's book selections. Data sources were e-mail correspondence, weekly reflections, ListServ postings, and field notes. The study suggests the benefits of a community-of-practice framework for the professional development of literacy mentors and affirms that mentoring instructors is situated. The inquiry also points to the important relationship between a mentor's “Discourse” map and opportunities for making intertextual connections associated with enriched learning experiences.

Nilsson, N.L. (2009). The Professional Development of Three Graduate Student Mentors in a University-Based After-School Program for Struggling Readers. In J.C. Richards, & C.A. Lassonde (Eds.), Literacy Tutoring That Works (pp. 141-155). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.