Are you wondering what an online tutoring session looks like?  

Maybe you just like to have an idea of what an event or service looks like before you actually commit to purchasing it?  I know I do!!

Today I want to share what a typical online tutoring session will look like. 

First of all, I want to be honest that every online tutoring lesson is not always structured the same because the needs of the child changes. Ultimately, my goal is to get the most out of a session even if the student is having a rough day.  There are times when we have to ditch the plan and take the tutoring session in a different direction.

I do this for two reasons: 

1. It provides lessons tailored to the individual not a curriculum. This is why tutoring is important!

2. My goal is to get the child to read as many words as they can.  Eyes on print is the biggest goal!

During our online reading tutoring session, every activity, challenge, or feedback is based on the most recent research from the Science of Reading.  I also teach/practice multiple skills in the same activities because research and my own experience, has shown there is a danger in teaching everything in isolation.

What does an online tutoring session look like?

In every tutoring session we do word work tailored to your child’s most pressing need.  Word work is when we focus on the sounds and letters in words and how they work to form words.  During our online tutoring session, we use letter tiles and our dry erase markers for these activities. 

After that we then practice reading connected print. Connected print is reading phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.  Typically, we start out using decodable books which are connected with the word work portion of the lesson.  You can learn more about why decodable books are important by clicking here.  I always try to integrate activities and books that resonate with my students so that they will be eager to learn and challenge themselves.

Greeting and how was your day (2-3 minutes)

Once your child enters the zoom session, I will greet them and see how their day is going. 

Rereading

After the greeting, we will then do a short review by doing a reread from a previous text.  Rereading the text allows your child to build reading fluency and build confidence.

Word Work (5-12 minutes)

We will then move into our word work.  This is where we work on specific sub reading skills such as blending, phonemic awareness, syllables, and phonic knowledge.  Furthermore, if your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia or shows signs of dyslexia, we will spend a lot of time with these activities because research shows that the paramount struggle for those with dyslexia is hearing the individual sounds in words. In sum, word work helps build a strong foundation for reading printed text.

Guided Reading Lesson (5-10 minutes)

Finally, we will have a guided reading lesson.  These texts will be challenging for the child to read.  However, with the proper support they will be able to read it comfortably.  Giving a child a more challenging text helps them to learn how to decode unfamiliar words and know how to decode in real reading. 

Closing (2-3 minutes)

I will then assign the child their practice work and say goodbye.

Ways you can help your child learn to read.

If you are interested in learning some ways to help your child learn to read at home, click the button below and you will receive a printout of 5 simple ways to help your child learn to read.  You can pick one idea a day for your child to practice and rotate through.

If you are looking for some activities and worksheets to help reinforce a phonics concept, you can visit my TpT page Audrey Tutors, anytime. I am constantly adding new products to help serve the needs of my students. 

I have a “long a” memory game that I use to help expose my students to the different spelling patterns in a simple way. I have created a game for each of the advanced sounds. Be sure to check them out!