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I believe education is the key to success. So often in the classroom, I see bright children who aren't able to succeed due to their complete lack of understanding. Finding ways to teach in small groups or one on one through tutoring are imperative to successful education.

In a first session, I would keep the pace slow, so that I could gather an understanding of the student's strengths and assess any moments or opportunity for improvement. I'd be active and engaging to help the child build motivation for learning.

I would provide students with opportunities for independent practice with every session. Sessions would begin with mini-lessons or a review of skills. After review and guided practice, I would have the student practice independently. With any bit of achievement, I would offer lots of praise to help motivate for more independent success.

Students, especially in early childhood settings, need to be actively engaged. Using educational games and materials would be used often. Switching up manipulatives also proves to be effective. For example, instead of writing with paper and pencil for practice, we can use whiteboards. When practicing spelling, we can use stencils or beads rather than typical rote-methods. Switching up the materials will keep students excited and motivated to learn.

If a student is having difficulty learning a skill or concept, I would go back to the basics. Offering plenty of praise along the way will help build the student's confidence. I would switch up materials and find alternative ways to explain a concept until I found what worked best for this student. That's the perk of one on one tutoring!

I would identify where the struggle is coming from. If the student is spending his energy on reading the passage and then can't comprehend the text, I would wonder if the lack of comprehension results from a lower-level reader. If I read the passage to a student, and he is able to comprehend fully, I know then that the lack of understanding derives from the student's ability to read, not the ability to comprehend.

When I start working with my class each year, I start off strong and firm. I work to build a relationship with each student so that we can develop a trust in learning. I never want students to feel afraid to ask questions or to wonder out loud in their learning process.

Make it fun! Learning should be fun. Using different manipulatives and varying materials will help motivate students. In math, there are endless games and activities that help disguise the "learning" into fun. In ELA, there are endless materials that can be used for homework. Apps and teacher-made materials are in abundance and will be used to help the struggling learner find motivation and confidence to succeed.