How to Plan a Tutoring Session

Identify the specific skill or concept to address. Tutoring should be targeted — working on 'math' is too broad. Working on 'subtracting across zeros with regrouping' is specific enough to make progress in one session.

Review available data: recent assessments, classroom observations, student work samples. This helps you understand what the student knows, what they're confused about, and what prerequisite skills might be missing.

A 30-60 minute tutoring session works well with this structure: Warm-Up (5 min) — Quick review of previously taught skills to build confidence. Assessment Check (5 min) — Brief diagnostic to confirm the focus area. Teaching (10-15 min) — Direct, explicit instruction on the target skill. Guided Practice (10-15 min) — Student practices with your support. Independent Practice (5-10 min) — Student works independently while you observe. Wrap-Up (5 min) — Summarize what was learned and preview next session.

Model and think aloud: Show the student how YOU would solve the problem, narrating your thinking process. Then have them try while narrating their own thinking.

Error analysis: Instead of just correcting mistakes, help the student understand WHY they made the error. 'You got 342 — let's look at where that went wrong. What did you do with the tens column?'

Multiple representations: If a student doesn't understand a concept one way, try another. Use manipulatives, visual models, real-world contexts, and symbolic representations.

Pacing: Move at the student's pace, not yours. It's better to master one skill thoroughly than rush through three.

Keep brief session notes: what you worked on, what the student can do independently, and what needs more work. This prevents repeating the same lessons and shows growth over time.

Use quick assessments at the start of each session to measure retention from the previous session. If the student forgot everything, your instruction may need to be more explicit or you may need more practice time.