Building the foundations...

 

I agree with these observations by Brian Tolentino (a gifted educator btw - I strongly recommend checking out his website). Whenever possible, my tutoring sessions incorporate:

• Short handwriting warm-ups (letter formation, spacing, pencil control);

• Stopping to review a spelling misunderstanding, highlighting patterns;

• Modelling editing aloud, showing how to spot punctuation errors;

• Pausing to highlight particular words or sentences during writing tasks;

• Constantly questioning to activate engagement and idea-sharing;

• Reiterating the purpose, meaning and structure of written texts;

• Reading aloud and rereading to solidify language patterns and fluency.

These micro-tasks keep the tutoring highly interactive and instructive while directly building the foundational habits needed for school success. I also encourage students to consider links between tutoring sessions and skill application in the classroom. - Mel