Tips For Tutoring

Hello, my name is Stephanie Vilchez. I am an occupational therapist assistant student from Wilbur Wright College. I have completed a rotation of 10 weeks for my Level II fieldwork, and I would like to talk about some tips and strategies from an OT perspective that I found helpful during my tutoring experience here at the playhouse.  

MOVEMENT BREAKS

Do have participants who have a hard time focusing during your tutoring session?  Some participants will seek out a movement such as fidgeting in a chair, getting up, and being distracted. Other participants will have lower arousal so they might need to have movement to be successful during the session. Try these tips!  

• Trampoline Time 

• Simon says game

• Using hula hoops  

• Playing catch with ball

BEHAVIOR

Do you have participants who do not want to follow rules, who do not want to listen, or wanting things done their own way?  Whether you are working with a young participant or older you should still assess their behaviors such as  

• Setting clear expectations 

• Setting boundaries  

• Being firm in an appropriate way with participants  

• If you give a participant a movement break but they do not want to return to the session, providing a timer helps them understand that their break is over. For example: “ I am setting the alarm for 5 minutes, after the alarm rings we have to get back to work”. 

REGULATION

Do you have participants who have high energy when entering the playhouse such as wandering around or running/jumping, etc. Some participants may have difficulty staying in control and adjusting to environmental demands. Try these tips!  

• Using a weighted vest helps those who have high energy and allows them to feel pressure of the weight to become calm. You can ask for the weighted vest upon request from the coordinators Grace and Nillam.  

• If you have a younger participant, rolling them in a yoga mat can give their deep pressure as well to calm them. The yoga mats are located inside the brown couch. 

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT   

Do you have participants who struggle to be motivated throughout your tutoring session? Participants can benefit from these motivators that can be given at the end of the session as a reward for putting effort. 

• Stickers 

• Small treat if allowed by parents/caregiver. 

• Playing their favorite song at the end of session  

• Allowing participant to play with toy of their choice.  

VISUAL SCHEDULE

Do you have participants who need to be reminded of the expectations and plan for the tutoring session? Participants can benefit from a visual schedule allowing them to see what is going to happen in the one-hour session. I found this visual schedule template online and I have used it in most sessions by creating a plan.  

WRITING

Do you have participants who have trouble with their writing skills such as letter formation, copying words, spatial awareness (knowing how much space you need in between words, left to right orientation, line use and size awareness? Something that I found helpful during my sessions was using adaptive paper that have indicators to help when writing. Here is a copy of the adaptive paper.