New tutors often ask, “How do I get started?” Even experienced tutors
can get lost in exercises and activities and not have a clear picture of
where these will lead.
It can be difficult to take what a student wants
to be able to do (goal) and decide upon a course of action (objective).
Use the following three points as a guide to approach tutoring with a well
thought-out plan: Design goals (what you’re going to achieve), assign objectives
(how you’re going to achieve it), and work your plan (do what you said
you were going to do).
Design Goals
This involves you, your student and your program’s student-tutor coordinator.
Use intake and assessment data in addition to talking with the student
to get a clear picture of his level and the goal or goals you’ll be working
on. Make a list of the goals and check off each one as it’s accomplished.
Assign Objectives
Some goals may need to be broken down into manageable segments. Do
this by asking questions about the goal and suggesting skills needed to
perform it. Keep breaking the goal down until you get to one the student
can do well. This becomes your baseline. Move up from there to identify
your first goal. In our example, the student’s ultimate goal is getting
a better job. Here are the steps you would follow:
Goal: Getting a Better Job
1. Break goal down into manageable segments:
Fill out job applications
Read directions, etc.
2 . Choose one:
Fill out job application
3. Does this need to be broken down further? Yes:
Understanding job application questions
Printing vs. cursive
Reading and using abbreviations
Knowledge of personal, school and work history
4. Determine how close your student is to mastery of each skill. Rearrange
the skills, putting the least known at the top and the most known at the
bottom. The skill at the bottom—the one the student knows best—is his baseline.
Understanding form questions
Reading and using abbreviations
Printing vs. cursive
Knowledge of personal, school and work history
In this example, the student knows his history. He also knows how
to print but prefers cursive and usually mixes printing and cursive when
he writes. A goal, therefore, is to get him comfortable and consistent
with printing.
Work Your Plan
Regardless of the goal, use a multi-sensory approach. If one way doesn’t
work, try another.
Examples include:
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To teach word recognition and practice phonics, put sight words on index
cards, using a different color for difficult sounds.
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To reinforce a specific skill, dictate words or phrases for your student
to record in his notebook.
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To work on word-attack skills, provide letter cards or tiles for practice
with sound combinations and making words.
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To model intonation, punctuation and speed and to improve vocabulary, read
to your student and have him follow along with you.
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To measure progress, build a portfolio or notebook of your student’s work;
make sure each entry has a date on it.
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To develop the habit of working independently and practicing what he’s
learned, encourage him to write in his notebook or journal.
Everyone learns at a different pace. Some students
require less repetition than others, but repetition and reinforcement are
keys to successful retention for every student.
Most students are not prepared for the life changing
commitment they must make, partly because they don’t know the work involved
to get them to the literacy level they want. This is where you put the
goals and objectives into practice. Although your student is responsible
for learning, you need to keep the goals in sight and systematically work
through your objectives.
By disciplining yourself to design and use a structured
plan, both you and your student can readily see how much progress you are
making toward a goal. Then you can make any necessary curriculum adjustments
or redefine the goal.
Reprinted from Tutor Exchange, Fall 1998
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