Techniques and Resources for Tutoring Basic Skills
Are you a remedial math or remedial reading tutor? Are you looking for new techniques or new resources for teaching specific basic skills? Maybe you're a homeschool parent of a special needs child, and you need new ideas for helping your child with spelling or handwriting. Or perhaps you're a classroom teacher looking for innovative and motivational ways to teach reading comprehension or vocabulary development. If this sounds like you, then you've come to the right place. Tutoring Techniques is your educational resource for tutoring information.
Explore the links on this page and find tutoring resources of a diverse variety. Discover some helpful tutoring tips and techniques too.
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[Image Credit: Flickr CC - J. Sneedon]
Explore the links on this page and find tutoring resources of a diverse variety. Discover some helpful tutoring tips and techniques too.
If you find the lens helpful, please rate it by checking on the 5th star on the right at the page top. Please also Lensroll it and add it to your favorites.
[Image Credit: Flickr CC - J. Sneedon]
Qualifications of a Good Tutor
Not all tutors are created equal. Not every home school parent makes a great one-on-one tutor with his or her child. But there are special qualities that make for the kind of tutor who finds success with students. These qualities include listening skills, being highly observant, and the ability to ask the right questions to determine student learning at every point of instruction. Furthermore, if a student is turned off by an aggressive or arrogant approach by a tutor, the tutor may not get off first base with the student. I have found that having an open, casual, but professional manner makes for a good student/tutor relationship.
It's also important to set a professional tone with the parent. You must have lessons well-prepared, resources up to date, lesson materials and plans handy, and you must have expertise in the content you are tutoring. Even the slightest uncertainty about a process or topic sends up red flags. It can kill your business or do damage to your reputation as a content professional. In other words, never wing it. If you don't remember the difference between an adverb and an adjective, you'd better brush up before tutoring grammar.
Parents often observe a private tutoring session. Private does not necessarily mean just you and the student. It may mean you are being observed by a couple of parents, some siblings, or even a child's classroom teacher. The privacy does mean that the educational status of the student is protected. At no time should a tutor share personal student data or diagnostic information with anyone other than a parent. If you feel it important to share private tutoring information about a student with his or her classroom teacher, it is important to have parental permission and for an older student, it might be important to clear it with the child as well.
One final thought about tutoring qualifications--it helps to be flexible. If a student arrives for tutoring and that student has a serious cold, he or she will be most miserable. If a family situation has affected his or her ability to focus, you will need to rethink how you approach certain subjects, the rate at which you progress, and your homework expectations.
A good tutor is respectful and able to communicate well with students, parents, and other educators. A good tutor is prepared for each student and each lesson and documents all necessary information. And finally, a good tutor guards the privacy and respects the integrity of each student he or she tutors.
It's also important to set a professional tone with the parent. You must have lessons well-prepared, resources up to date, lesson materials and plans handy, and you must have expertise in the content you are tutoring. Even the slightest uncertainty about a process or topic sends up red flags. It can kill your business or do damage to your reputation as a content professional. In other words, never wing it. If you don't remember the difference between an adverb and an adjective, you'd better brush up before tutoring grammar.
Parents often observe a private tutoring session. Private does not necessarily mean just you and the student. It may mean you are being observed by a couple of parents, some siblings, or even a child's classroom teacher. The privacy does mean that the educational status of the student is protected. At no time should a tutor share personal student data or diagnostic information with anyone other than a parent. If you feel it important to share private tutoring information about a student with his or her classroom teacher, it is important to have parental permission and for an older student, it might be important to clear it with the child as well.
One final thought about tutoring qualifications--it helps to be flexible. If a student arrives for tutoring and that student has a serious cold, he or she will be most miserable. If a family situation has affected his or her ability to focus, you will need to rethink how you approach certain subjects, the rate at which you progress, and your homework expectations.
A good tutor is respectful and able to communicate well with students, parents, and other educators. A good tutor is prepared for each student and each lesson and documents all necessary information. And finally, a good tutor guards the privacy and respects the integrity of each student he or she tutors.
Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child
What Parent's Need to Ask of Tutors
- Finding the Right Tutor for Your Child
- This article is a check list for locating the right tutor for your child. It is also a guideline to help tutors know what needs to be in place and what answers to have when that call comes in from a parent.
Technique to Improve Reading Comprehension
- Reading Speed Helps Struggling Readers
- Discover how increasing the reading speed improves reading comprehension.
Technique for Teaching Short Vowel Sounds
- Short Vowel Sound Phonics Technique
- Technique for helping students master the short vowel sounds
Technique for Teaching Long Vowel Sounds
- The Silent "e" Phonics Technique
- This technique is great for teaching about the silent e.
Teacher's Book of Lists
These are resource books every basic skills tutor must have on his or her shelf. I have used mine nearly every tutoring day. You will find these reference books so valuable that you might not put them back on the shelf.
The Reading Teacher's Book Of Lists, 5th Edition (J-B Ed: Book of Lists)
Amazon Price: $18.87 (as of 12/07/2009) 
The Writing Teacher's Book of Lists with Ready-to-Use Activities and Worksheets , 2nd Edition
Amazon Price: $23.36 (as of 12/07/2009)
The Math Teacher's Book Of Lists: Grades 5-12, 2nd Edition
Amazon Price: $21.75 (as of 12/07/2009)
The Vocabulary Teacher's Book of Lists (J-B Ed: Book of Lists)
Amazon Price: $21.56 (as of 12/07/2009)
The Literature Teacher's Book Of Lists (J-B Ed: Book of Lists)
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 12/07/2009)
One Minute Spelling Technique
- One Minute Spelling Technique
- Improve student spelling with this effective one minute spelling technique.
Correcting Letter Confusion Technique
- Correcting Lowercase Letter Confusion
- Technique to help students with letter confusion.
Encouraging the Writer in Your Student
Have you ever tried to find writing prompts for junior high age students or senior high age students? Here is a resource for the classroom teacher or private tutor that offers three types of prompts for each prompt topic -- a narrative, an expository, and a persuasive prompt. The prompts work well for writing tasks in one lesson period.
Journal Prompts for Secondary Students: with Vocabulary Development
Amazon Price: $9.94 (as of 12/07/2009)
Funny Poems for Reluctant Readers
Do you have a reluctant reader? Do you have a reader who can't stay focused for longer reading assignments? This book of funny poems for kids is a real motivator. Kids can't wait to get to the punchline and the reading is short enough for kids to stay focused. The rhyme also helps with word identification.
Space Between My Teeth: Funny Poems for Kids
Amazon Price: $9.94 (as of 12/07/2009)
Memory Technique
- How to Remember 15 Things in a Row
- Learn a technique for remembering 15 things in a row. Great for sequence tasks on tests.
Tips for Teaching Number Stabilization
- Tips to Stabilize Numbers
- Tips for helping students master numbers, stabilize numbers.
Tutoring Technique - Mastering Multiplication Facts
- Tutoring Technique for Teaching Multiplication Fact Mastery
- This technique helps students master multiplicaiton facts.
Math Story Problems
Story problems are one of the least favorite parts about math for many students. These motivational resources may make that pill a bit less difficult to swallow.
Math Stories For Problem Solving Success: Ready-to-Use Activities Based on Real-Life Situations, Grades 6-12 (Jossey-Bass Teacher)
Amazon Price: $23.36 (as of 12/07/2009)
Flip Over Math - Story Problems
Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 12/07/2009)
Comic-Strip Math: 40 Reproducible Cartoons with Dozens of Funny Story Problems That Build Essential Skills, Grades 3-6
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Motivational Math Activities
Want to have some motivational math activities for short lesson periods of tutoring. Here are some resources that can really pull a punch.
40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kids Can't Resist (Grades 4-8)
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 12/07/2009)
The GIANT Encyclopedia of Math Activities: Over 600 Activities Created by Teachers for Teachers
Amazon Price: $23.72 (as of 12/07/2009)
Homework Success Strategies
- Homework Success Strategies
- Strategies for tutor to share with both student and parent to improve homework scores
Tutoring and ADHD
- Tutoring Tips for ADHD
- Read about tutoring tips for ADHD.
Distractions in the Tutoring Environment
Removing as many distractions as possible from the tutoring environment helps students focus, and impacts learning. This article reveals the many distractions that can steal student attention and provides suggestions on ways to improve the tutoring environment.
- Distractions in Tutoring Environment
- How to minimize the distractions in a tutoring environment
ADHD Tutoring Resources
As I taught basic skills over the years, I would often have a student with both learning disabilities and ADHD. One of the best resources I found on ADHD was Driven to Distraction. I highly recommend it for every tutor's bookshelf.
Another resource worth checking out is this book about How to Reach and Teach Children with ADD/ADHD.
Another resource worth checking out is this book about How to Reach and Teach Children with ADD/ADHD.
How To Reach And Teach Children with ADD/ADHD: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions (J-B Ed: Reach and Teach)
Amazon Price: $20.76 (as of 12/07/2009)
Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 12/07/2009)
Test Taking Tips
Taking tests with these tips in mind can student the advantage.
- Tips for Test Takers
- Improve test scores with these tips.
Study and Organizational Skills
These are some great resources for teaching study skills and organizational skills. Again, resources like thses beong on every tutor's shelf.
Middle School Study Skills
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 12/07/2009)
Help for the Struggling Student: Ready-to-Use Strategies and Lessons to Build Attention, Memory, and Organizational Skills
Amazon Price: $23.36 (as of 12/07/2009)
Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing is true about them. They get results. Teaching students how to use them effectively, improves reading comprehension, writing skills, and other basic skills. Tutors can't get enough organizers.
First Graphic Organizers: Reading; 30 Reproducible Graphic Organizers That Build Early Reading and Comprehension Skills
Amazon Price: $9.35 (as of 12/07/2009)
40 Graphic Organizers That Build Comprehension During Independent Reading
Amazon Price: $11.24 (as of 12/07/2009)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS 4 - 8
Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 12/07/2009)
Graphic Organizers (Grades K-8)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Similes and Metaphors - Reading and Writing Essentials
The ability to use and understand similes and metaphores effectively, divides those with good reading comprehension and creative writing skills, from those without. Tutors of basic skills need this resource on their shelf.
Similes And Metaphors (The Magic of Language)
Amazon Price: $24.36 (as of 12/07/2009)
Metaphors Dictionary
Amazon Price: $21.75 (as of 12/07/2009)
Similes
Amazon Price: $11.00 (as of 12/07/2009)
Tutoring Resources on Sequencing
Paying attention to sequencing in stories is vital for student reading comprehension. These materials are great resources for tutors who focus on sequencing during basic skills tutoring.
Sequencing
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 12/07/2009)
Short Story Sequencing
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 12/07/2009)
Tense Sequencing Flashcards
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
6-Scene Sequencing Cards
Amazon Price: $9.59 (as of 12/07/2009)
Analogies - Vital for Reading Development
These resources for tutoriong analogies are vital for the basic skills tutor. Being able to project, to generalize, are critical components of reading comprehension. Every tutor should have resources like these on his or her shelf.
Daily Warm-Ups: Analogies
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Daily Warm-Ups for Analogies Level II, Grade 9-12 (Daily Warm-Ups)
Amazon Price: $12.91 (as of 12/07/2009)
Analogies: Grades 2-3 (Ready-To-Go Reproducibles)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Analogies: Grades 4-5 (Ready-To-Go Reproducibles)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Analogies: Grades 6-8 (Ready-To-Go Reproducibles)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Reproducable Lessons - High School Reports
Having reproducable sheets for tutoring lessons is an important tutoring resource. This particular book would make a great resource for your tutor's bookshelf.
Research Paper and Report Writing, Grades 9-12, for Glencoe Writer's Choice Grammar and Composition (Reproducable student activities provide: practice with research techniques and report formats, strategies for internet research; a complete guide to MLA style for documents)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Letters and Numbers for Hands On Learning
These magnetic letters work great on a vertical board or flat metal surface. I found myself using foam and metal numbers and letters quite often in tutoring as a multi-sensory instructional aid.
Learning Resources Soft Magnetic Combo Set
Amazon Price: $34.50 (as of 12/07/2009)
100 Magnetic Letters Numbers & Icons
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Magnetic Letters and Numbers Learning Set
Amazon Price: $25.77 (as of 12/07/2009)
What Tutors Need to Know about Copyright Law
- Do Teachers Break Copyright Law
- As a tutor, you need to understand the Copyright Law. This article includes a link to a very valuable resource for teachers.
Why Homeschool a Child?
- 30 Reasons to Homeschool a Child
- Sometimes homeschooling is the answer. Here are 30 reasons why.
How To - Tutoring Books
Sometimes you just want to browse techniques and gather ideas from others in the business. Here are some resources to help.
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- DeeDee DeeDee Jun 15, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
- These are excellent tips to provide to those who might be in the looking for tutor for either themselves or their children.
Excellent suggestions!
http://jdtutors.com
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- fornls fornls Feb 16, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
- Cool. This is a lot of collection. If I cannot find the exact books, may be I can find the ones closer to them.
Thanks for the tips and resources.
(c)copyright, 2008
by J-ellen
Welcome. For a bit about me: I hold a BS in Home Economics and a Masters in Special Education. I've been an educator for nearly 30 years--ten of that... (more)
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