Tips for Tutors

Marna Neufer, creator of the TRUST system, offers these tips to help tutors and parents maximize the benefits of their coaching.

There is no set amount of time to spend on this intensive kind of learning. For some, five or ten minutes is the limit; others can easily go fifteen minutes or more on one particular skill (reading word lists, for instance). During a session, varying the activities helps to combat fatigue.

I never work with a person longer than one hour at a stretch. I’ve found it counterproductive when I try to extend our time together beyond this point.

Keep the mental atmosphere positive.
In the position of coach we can do a lot to help our students expect continuing progress. We set the tone by the way we respond to their decoding and spelling efforts.

Here are some examples of the kind of encouragement we can give:

• Try it again; you almost have it.
   
• Do you hear that extra letter you’re putting in there? Good. Now you can take it out.
   
• Add the n sound, and you’ll have it!

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TRUST’s Tip of the Month. You’ll receive each month a helpful tip, such as those found on this page. 

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TRUST's Tip-of-the-Month Titles
April 2002 to November 2006

1. An interesting thought on praise
2. Oh, those b's and d's!
3. Keep that "Twisted List" handy
4. Don't start with sight words!
5. Two crucial steps in producing confident, independent readers
6. Some simple ways to make good spellers
7. Pesky pronouns: I or me? He or Him? They or them?
     An easy way to tell
8. Some ways to keep your teaching sessions positive
9. How should we handle the irregular words in our language? Part 1
10. How should we handle the irregular words in our language? Part 2
11. A tiny, often-mispronounced word!
12. When nonsense words are the perfect tool
13. Tell them "Ten minutes is enough."
14. They're? Their? There? An easy way to explain which one to use
15. Learning to be a "vowel hopper"
16. Ways to help with some other sound-alikes
17. A terrible twosome: lie and lay
18. Two more confusing pairs: sit/set and rise/raise
19. A serious mistake
20. A roll of drums!
21. How to get the most out of TRUST Tales
22. The two sounds of /c/ and /g/. What's the rule?
23. Take a deep breath...
24. Does is LOOK right?
25. Pros and cons of "Inventive Spelling"
26. "Kid Writing"
27. IS it a comprehension problem?
28. Ten million of them ... and counting
29. What is the main cause of widespread illiteracy in the USA?
30. More convincing evidence
31. "It takes too long." Really?
32. Keep reading to them.
33. Is /w/ ever a vowel?
34. What do we want in a "fluent" reader?
35. Waking up those ears!
36. Silent or oral reading: What's the best balance?
37. Teach your students these irregular verbs.
38. Parents, supervise your beginning printers. (over)
39. Rerun of Tip #4
40. Rerun of Tip #5
41. Rerun of Tip #6
42. How to start turning illiteracy around
43. Another way to give them support
44. A great activity: "Directions in Threes"
45. Easy way to sound out words ending in -tion
46. In praise of points
47. Facts about words ending in-ate
48. A Treasure Hunt -- much fun!
49. Don't try to remember that word.
50. Rerun of Tip #1
51. Rerun of Tip #7
52. Decoding problems? Put the consonants around the vowels.
53. The Kit: A favorite with kids of all ages
 

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