The Nation's Report Card is again reporting a decline in math and reading scores for our children. Parents have been concerned that their children may be falling behind because of the pandemic or other stresses in the classroom. Virtual tutors seem to be everywhere these days. What should you look for to find an effective virtual tutor?
Virtual tutors should bring the lessons to the student within the context of student interests and experiences. Students are likely to be more receptive to learning when the lessons are embedded within content that is already familiar.
· The initial meeting with a virtual tutor should include a discussion about the goals and interests of the learner. This session will help the tutor customize sessions and give parents an opportunity to assess the credentials and approach of the tutor.
· Give the tutor some flexibility to build rapport with the student. By expressing interest in the student, and learning his or her interests, tutors can refine and customize sessions. For example, learning that an elementary school girl has four brothers that are very involved in sports provides a setting for her to write about baseball games she has observed.
· Tutors should have an understanding of the developmental limitations of students at different ages. For example, preschool children may have trouble sitting still for an hour to work with a tutor. The tutor should be ready to take a short break when the student starts to lose interest and even include a lesson within the break. A phonics session with a kindergarten boy might include a brief video showing dinosaurs. The boy will probably recognize a triceratops dinosaur as fast as he will recognize a triangle. The video can be used to practice the “tri” sound while providing a fun break.
· Lessons do not always need to be complicated. Sometimes simple is better. A student struggling with math may find it easier to learn addition and subtraction using money. How many dollar bills are required to buy a comic book? How much change should be returned to the buyer? If a young student is learning computer skills, a digital game of tic-tac-to can be a fun break and a valuable learning experience.
· Tutors need to be prepared for the possibility that young students may be wise beyond their years and be flexible enough to let them still be kids. For example, an elementary student who wants to be an astrophysicist may know a great deal about NASA and the International Space Station (ISS), but when she has trouble writing the details about travel to the ISS, allow her the freedom to change her story and write about a setting that is more familiar.
Child development experts are taught to provide “freedom within limits.” This same concept applies to effective tutoring. Select a tutor that customizes lessons to fit within the interests and experiences of the student. Students do not always have to fit within standardized planned lessons.
