Our Tutors Told Me Their Best Tips and Tricks 🤫

Over the weekend, I met with a team of our expert tutors (virtually, of course) to learn more about how online tutoring is going and how students are responding to virtual learning. After what has felt like weeks of difficult news, I was so encouraged to hear they’ve found many creative ways to effectively engage kids during this time!


I asked them to share their best tips and tricks with me so I could pass a few on to you today. Try these strategies out in your own home or contact us so we can do it for you! We’ll get you matched with a tutor who can meet with your child virtually and lead them through the perfect activities for their age level, personality, and academic needs. Click here to schedule a consult to discuss how we can match your family with a tutor.


Use a Conversation “Cheat Sheet” to Dig Deeper

Tutor Sonia told me she got tired of asking students how school was going just to hear, “Oh, it’s fine. It’s going well.” So she created a conversation “cheat sheet” to help her dig deeper. Here’s what it looks like:

By working through each subject one at a time and asking specific questions, Sonia found kids were more likely to open up. This helped her figure out where they were truly confident or struggling so that she could adjust her tutoring sessions accordingly. If you’re struggling to gauge how your own child is really doing right now, try using this chart to ask strategic questions about their online schooling.


Make Learning Fun

In talking to my tutors, I was thrilled to hear that some students are thriving and even doing better with online schooling than they did in the traditional classroom. Others are dragging their feet a bit, but even those students are getting engaged when our tutors get creative and make learning fun! 

For example, one tutor discovered that a student who was struggling with fractions really loved to cook. She decided to make him some cooking lessons—but instead of asking him to simply follow the recipe, she also had him convert all the fractions into quarters. He was able to practice multiplying, dividing, and doing mental math with fractions. He loved it!

Another tutor traded out traditional math problems for a packet of math-driven puzzles, jokes, and riddles. Others have found fun activities on sites like Happy Numbers, IXL, or XtraMath.com. If your child is reluctant to do optional work assigned by their teachers, try finding a creative way to practice the same skills—or contact us to get matched with a tutor who can do that for you!


Form a Virtual Book Club

Unless your child has always loved to read, it can be extremely hard to convince them to put down their device of choice and pick up a book right now. Some kids find reading boring, difficult, or isolating and would rather be online, connecting with friends. One of our tutors found a way to incorporate reading and social connection with a virtual book club. She’s finding readers of all levels love this opportunity to connect with peers.

If your child isn’t interested in reading, consider forming a virtual book club with their friends or classmates. Suggest a few books, and let them pick one that interests them the most. Knowing they’ll get to discuss the story with others can be just the motivation they need to crack open a book. Plus, they’ll practice important skills like critical thinking and information retrieval in their virtual book club meeting.

I’m so proud of the many ways our tutors are keeping students engaged and on-track during distance learning. These tutors take the time to get to know each student personally and plan sessions and activities just for them. Not only do kids enjoy the sessions, but parents love seeing their children thrive in online schooling—especially without their help!

If you’d like to learn more about pairing your child with one of our expert tutors, just click below to schedule a free consult. You can also call us at (703) 934-8282 or hit reply to this email. We’re here to help!

P.S. We’ll be rolling out information about online group classes, including live virtual book clubs, later this week. Stay tuned!