Tips and Tricks for Tutoring Elementary Students
The Do's and Don't's That Will Produce Better Learning
Nov 13, 2009
Tutoring young children presents unique challenges. It is different than tutoring older children or adults. Fragile egos, short attention spans and frustrated parents are part of the package. Using the following methods will make learning fun and successful for young students.
Determine the Tutoring Objective
Meet with the parents to determine the purpose of the tutoring sessions. Does the child need development of basic reading or math skills? Does the child simply require homework help? Is instruction on study habits and organization necessary. Establish an objective and primarily focus sessions on that purpose.
Be Part of a Team
A good tutor works in partnership with the parents and teachers at the school. Stay informed on the material covered in class. With the parent's permission have a meeting or email the child's teacher about areas they feel the child is struggling with. Ideally, a tutor's material will complement the school work. Talk to the parents about ways they can support the tutoring sessions. For example, a tutor may ask a parent to use the multiplication flashcards three times during the week.
Tailor the Tutoring Methods
The advantage of tutoring is one-on-one instruction. A good tutor teaches to a specific child's style and interests. A tutors teaching style should match the child's learning style. Get to know the student and incorporate those interests into the lessons. A child who loves hockey will be more interested in math problems about hockey players and scores.
Chunk the Teaching Session Into Smaller Pieces
An hour is often too long for tutoring young children in one academic area. Break up a math tutoring session with a 10 minute game of Boggle or do some math facts in between reading sessions. Adjust the times according to the specific child's attention span.
Tutor in a Fun and Creative Way
Young children learn better with hands on activities. Use Lego or cheerios for Math. Magazines and Scrabble tiles are great for spelling and writing activities. Let them use canned food in your cupboard to explore volume. Write spelling words in fancy gel markers. Have children help make board games and flashcards. Don't just give out boring worksheets! Great tutors have a sense of humour and plenty of new materials for teaching old principles.
Be Organized,Prepared and Flexible
An organized work area is essential for successful tutoring since it adds to both, the tutor and student's productivity and focus. A good tutor has prepared for the session with plenty of activities accessible. Have extra games and activities ready in case a child's homework is forgotten or a planned activity is too advanced. Have a game like Upwards close at hand as a back up or reward.
Offer Rewards
Young children need plenty of positive reinforcement and encouragement. Verbal praise should be given liberally. A quick game of Crazy Eights is a great reward for 25 minutes of hard work on a creative writing story. A tutor might also have a treasure chest of small dollar store items or school supplies that a child can pick from every four tutoring sessions.
Tutoring young children can be challenging but also very rewarding. The key to successful tutoring of elementary students is creating an organized learning environment with lots of creative activities on hand.
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