Tutoring

Techniques
Session 4:
"What works for some may not work for others."
Each person learns differently. The old adage "What works for some
may not work for others" is a crucial point for tutors to remember. You,
as a Tutor, have the advantage over instructors of being able to
individualize your student's style of learning. A combination of
strategies from the list below may work well for students, including
those with learning disabilities. Familiarize yourself with these
techniques and practice them. Remember, techniques are
interchangeable. For example, you may find a technique listed under
Math Techniques and use it for tutoring a history course. Tutoring
techniques are grouped into:

1. Required
2. Commonly Used
3. Reading
4. Writing
5. Math & Science
Required Techniques
Required techniques are techniques that should be used during each
session. We will discuss and practice these techniques in our CRLA
Training Session. Read each technique carefully and envision yourself
using them in a tutorial setting.

 Preparation
 o Get a copy of your First Sessions Checklist;
o Review your copy of the student's syllabus;
o Plan an agenda for your session. (Remember the
agenda doesn't have to be strictly adhered to. Your
student may have an agenda too. Work with your
student on what needs to be covered.)
 Beginning a session
o Make sure you and your student log in;
o Scan the cubicle to make sure it is clean and the
technology works;
o Know how to handle no-shows;
o Review the student's Student Tutorial Assessment
and/or the Cook Study Skills Checklist with the
student to inquire how the student is doing. There are
certain questions you can ask your student, like:
1. "How are your strengths helping you with school this
semester?" (Motion to areas that students do well in.)
2. "Have you seen improvement in these areas?" (Motion to
areas that students want to work on.)
3. "What new study habits are you trying?"
 Ending a session
o Inform the student when the session is almost over.
This cues the student that it's about time to wrap
up. Say something like, "We have 5 more minutes
left. Let's review what we've covered today."
o Do a recap of your session with your student.
Briefly explain what was covered in the session.
Ask your student how they benefited from this
session. Ask them to identify study skills they will
use.
o Confirm next appointment.
You and your student probably already have a set
schedule of sessions for the semester but it's a
good idea to remind your student of the next
appointment. For example, you could say, "I will
see you this Wednesday for our regular 6 o'clock
appointment."
 o Make sure you and your student log out.
o Complete your session log.
This gives you an opportunity to reflect on the
session and to plan for the next one.
o Add working time to eTime.
 Active listening
o making eye contact,
o leaning slightly toward the student,
o nodding appropriately,
o responding with appropriate facial expressions, and
o relaxing when you are watching the student
communicate.
When a tutor listens actively, it shows students that they are
important enough to have your undivided attention. You can
demonstrate active listening by
o paraphrase what the student communicated,
o to ask questions that will lead the student to her/his
own solution,
o offer constructive feedback rather than criticize,
o guide students to make appropriate choices, and
o ask the student if there is anything else s/he can
share.
o Be familiar with difficult situations.
When it is time to respond, an active response may be to
 Active probing
More often than not, students have gaps in their learning. A good way
for tutors to figure our where students are fumbling is by asking
questions. (This is not meant to be a police interrogation. Refer to
Active Listening.)

When students are answering your questions, you can begin to see
where students are "getting it" or "not getting it." Good questions to
ask the student are open-ended which allows them to give you a
detailed response. Avoid yes or no questions, which would most likely
give you nothing beyond the standard "yes" or "no" answers. Open-
ended questions often begin with how, why, where, when, who or
what. Here are some examples of the questions you could ask:

 "How did class go yesterday?"

 "How did you come to that answer?"
 "How does that apply to this?"
 "Why do you think that's the answer?"
 "Why do you think this happened?"
 "Why do you think the teacher said this?"
 "Where would you go to find the answer?"
 "Where do you study?"
 "Where do you think the teacher is going with this
information?"
 "When is the best time for you to study?"
 "When are your tests, projects due?"
 "When will your class be studying this topic?"
 "Who said this?"
 "Who do you think you could study with?"
 "Who pioneered this technique?"
 "What did you learn from reading this chapter?"
 "What do you think the teacher will test you on?"
 "What does your teacher emphasize most in her lectures?"
The kinds of open-ended questions you could ask your students
are endless. Tutors should jot down a few questions they would
like to ask their students during the next session or while the
student is explaining their thought process.

Commonly-Used Techniques
 Role Reversal
Using Role Reversal encourages the student to think for
himself, and assimilate what he has learned in class and
in tutorial sessions. (This can force a sleepy, unmotivated
student to become active and involved during his tutoring
session. It also works well as a review session.)
 Give student time, time, and more time
 Let the student try to figure out what the answers are.
Showing patience and gentle encouragement reduces
anxiety and allows the student to be active in the learning
process.
 Tutor in a quiet environment
Deaf students often find visual noise distracting. Keep
distractions to a minimum and encourage others to do the
same. Be aware of what you are wearing. Solid shirts with
neutral or cool shades of blue are more "quiet" than a shirt
with busy print or neon colors.
 Present information in manageable steps
Isolate each step. Use index cards, bullets, or single
sheets of paper to present each piece of information.
 Give examples
This is a popular technique. A lot of information is new or
abstract and our minds often need association to absorb
it. For example, a student has not encountered the theory
of "social construction" before. You might say "social
construction is like the human body. Each part of the body
has a responsibility to make the body run. For example
the heart is responsible for pumping blood, lungs are
responsible for breathing, legs are responsible for
walking. Likewise each member of society has a
responsibility to contribute to society to make society
function, like firefighters, teachers, doctors, janitors. That
is what 'social construction' means."
 Write directions for assignments
For most of us recall is only good for a short amount of
time. If you want your student to practice a study skill,
remember an assignment, or rehearse vocabulary, write it
down. This is also true for presenting information in small
manageable steps.
 Relate material to student's everyday life
This is a highly effective tutoring technique. Remember
the Chinese saying, "Tell me, I forget. Show me, I
remember. Involve me, I understand." How true that is! If
you can relate your course material to something that your
 student has experienced before, this will help the student
remember it better.
 Experiment with LARGE print
This applies to presenting information in small
manageable steps. Sometimes material is too crowded
and so overwhelmed with data that it becomes hard to
extract important pieces of information. Sometimes when
the print is larger information becomes easier to read and
absorb. Use the copier to experiment with LARGE print. If
the information is on a computer, increase the computer's
screen resolution.
 Elicit brain storming - ask "Why?"
o recall information;
o make corrections;
o understand how they got the answer.
Asking "why" helps students explain how they reached a particular
answer.

o see how their students are processing information;
o ensures that the student is on the right track;
o helps the student become independent thinkers.
 Ask students to paraphrase information
Paraphrasing is a powerful tool that helps students
assimilate and rethink information. It turns them into active
learners and it helps the tutor check to see if the student
genuinely understands the material.
 Encourage questions from students
Students who ask questions are active-learners. They are
taking charge of their learning and often overcoming little
voices that say something akin to "People will think I'm
stupid if I ask." Assure your students that no questions are
bad. Educational exchanges happen when people ask
questions, no matter how blighted the questions may
seem.
 Offer materials for students to keep
Reviewing material is important for memory retention.
Additionally, when you give or lend materials to students,
 this bolsters their motivation to study. (Use the
photocopier to make copies.)
 Drill for rote learning while walking
Rhythm leads to clearer thinking. This is a good technique
to use when students need to memorize material such as
vocabulary, formulas, and algorithms.
 Allow frequent breaks
Studying is exercise for the brain. And as with all
exercising, the body and mind need a break. Allow a few
minutes for the student to get water and go to the
bathroom after 30 to 45 minute intervals. Concentration
will improve.
 Restate information differently
You may have a student say, "In ASL, please." Signing
aloud is a way of restating information in a way that
students believe they will better understand. We do not
encourage Tutors to sign long texts aloud from course
materials but rather encourage Tutors to have students
sign the material themselves. When they read aloud they
are in fact processing information better than they would if
a Tutor signed it for them. Tutors, in turn, can watch the
students signing to see if they are accurately restating
information. Tutors do at times need to restate
information. Tutors can draw images, paraphrase, identify
different references, color code, and/or isolate
information.
 Prepare students for changes in routine
Students are often taken by surprise when a tutor tries
something different. It's better for a tutor to inform the
student what will happen beforehand so that the student
remains comfortable and focused on the tutoring session.
 Show information in different ways
Although this is less true these days, a student
occasionally will come across education material that
weighs heavily on reading and very little on visuals. Use
text, graphs, charts, and drawings to stimulate your
student's visual comprehension of the material.
 Conversely, but less common, some students retain
information better through text than through pictures. Be
sure to observe your students and identify learning styles
that work well for them.
 Use technology
We live in the Information Age because of technology.
Technology has given people different avenues of
acquiring knowledge. It is a huge improvement over the
traditional "read-text-for-hours-or-else-you-fail" approach
of the bygone days. Allow technology to enhance your
tutoring sessions. Take advantage of the internet, course-
related software, high speed photocopiers, and
videophones to work with your students.
Reading Techniques
 Highlight important information
Have student scan textbook, chapters, bold print, and
pictures to come up with an idea of what the author(s) will
say.
What does (course title) mean?"
o Math tutors, for instance, could ask their students,
"What does algebra mean?" (It basically means the
study of variables.)
 "How is your text book divided?"
 microbiology (things we can't see like
atoms, DNA, cells) and
 macrobiology (things we can "see"
like ecosystems, anatomy, and
evolution).
Look at table of contents to see how it is
organized. For instance, most biology texts are
divided into two major parts
o "How does this chapter fit into this book?"
For example, history texts are organized
chronologically which means events in earlier
chapters may have lead to events in the current
chapter.
o "What are the subchapters/ sections of this chapter?"
 This helps the student see the relationship
between subchapters and the chapter itself.
"Look at the pictures and bold print in this chapter. What
are they telling you? How are they related to the topic?"
o "What kinds of quizzes or assignments does this
chapter have at the end?"
Reading through the review questions before
reading the chapter helps students get a feel for
what the author and their teacher want students
to learn.
A good way to approach this technique is to ask the
student
o Discuss vocabulary before reading
Familiarity with essential vocabulary words helps
students read more fluidly and confidently.
o Use highlighter to identify key words or phrases
Not everyone likes their text marked with a
highlighter. If this doesn't appeal to your students,
then encourage them to isolate important
information in their notes, jot notes in their text, or
use post-it notes.
o Have students read/sign aloud to you
Avoid reading/signing aloud to students. Let them
read to you and you watch how they convey
information. You may begin to see where they are
struggling or missing important information.
o Jot notes in text
Not everyone likes their text marked with notes. If
this doesn't appeal to your students, then
encourage them to isolate important information
in their notebook, use post-it notes, or
highlighting.
o Discuss review questions
Reading through the review questions before
reading the chapter helps students get a feel for
what the author and their teacher want students
to learn.
 o Have students take notes while reading
Taking notes helps students commit information
to memory. Notes should include questions
students have as they read as well as identifying
information they need to review later.
o Openly discuss material on hand
Tutors probe, students answer. In other words let
the students do most of the talking and the tutors
do most of the guiding. See active probing.
o Use sketches, maps, flow charts
Visual images often help students see what a
stream of words cannot. This is a highly effective
technique.
o Teach students SQ3R
Survey, question, read, review, recite
Writing Techniques
 Ask questions about the assignment
How many pages? When is the paper due? What does
the teacher want you to do?
 Ask the student two or more subject-centered questions
about their topic
What do you already know? What do you need to find
out? What is your thesis?
 Create a time line
 Use pre-writing strategies
brainstorming, mapping, outlining, jotting notes
http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/prewriting.html
Recognize common ESL problems
 Help students develop a formal outline
Introduction, body and conclusion.
http://www.gallaudet.edu/tip/english_works/writing/
research_paper_the_process.html
 Become familiar with the process of doing a research
paper
 Encourage students to make an appointment with a
English Coach at TIP, especially when they are working
on papers.
 Jordan Student Academic Center (JSAC) Room 1221
Math & Science Techniques
 Use color coding
Organization becomes easier when people see items
grouped together by color. This is a popular technique
used for isolating math steps.
 Do flowcharting, diagramming
Words don't always say enough. Clearly showing the
relationship between numbers and objects through visual
aids really helps students understand how
mathematicians and scientists have come to certain
answers.
 Use flashcards
Index cards help isolate information and allow students to
flip through them often.
 Use graph paper instead of lined-paper
Remember when you made a math mistake because your
numbers weren't lined up clearly? Most schools in Europe
and Australia require students to use graph paper
because graph paper lines information up both vertically
and horizontally. It helps students organize and see their
information better. (Graph paper is sold in the Gallaudet
Bookstore.)
 Let students touch and handle instructional materials
Familiarity with a tool helps students better understand
how it is used. And it reduces feelings of alienation.
 Use stimulation
Stimulation like board games and computer activities
allow students to practice a particular skill without
worrying about consequences.
 Do hands-on activities
Most of us are tactile learners. We acquire information as
we touch objects and try to figure out how they work.
 Supplement materials with art notebooks, coloring books
Some texts have a supplemental book with clear drawings
and visual-based activities for students. Anatomy coloring
books are a hit with college students
Check List
FIRST SESSION CHECKLIST
The first session is a critical period in establishing rapport and
consistency with your student. Following the steps below will help you
and your student establish a solid student-tutor relationship.

Log In. Explain to the student that they must log in and out for each
session.

Explain your role as the Tutor/Writing Advisor. (You are there to help
the student improve his/her study skills, test taking, time management,
reading comprehension, writing, and understanding of course
content).

Get a copy of the syllabus for the student's file.

Review the Policies & Rules in the TIP manual.

Have your student complete the Gallaudet Study Skills Inventory.
Discuss results and make recommendations for your student. (Don't
forget to applaud their strengths.)