Getting Started: Great Games and Activities for Your First Session

It's your first tutoring session. What do you do? It's important that your learner feels comfortable with you and that you know enough about them (you need to be able to pick great material for your sessions!). Here are some tips for making your first session a good experience:

 First, you can do a quick reading and writing survey. There are several that I use, but I've seen tutors make their own. Do whatever you prefer! If you're looking for a survey to use, Professor Garfield has a great cartoon survey for younger students. You can also try the same website for a great Garfield reading survey as well! For middle and high-school-age students, use a survey like the smiley-face survey offered here. These may seem silly, but they really work!

 After introductions have been made, I like to have tutors do a craft with their learner to get to know them better.This tends to work best with younger learners. A great craft for younger children is a drawing of their home and family. Be sure to draw your family too. Once you've both finished, explain who each member of your family is and tell a little about them. Another craft I like for the first session is to make your own bookmarks. This can be very fun and can allow you to discuss what kind of books you like to read with your learner. Remember, have fun!

  If you have an older learner, it's sometimes best to skip the arts and crafts. If you feel like they would be comfortable writing, have them write a poem about themselves. You could also have them write in a journal. Another great replacement for crafts is a game. I like to play games like Scrabble with my older learners because they get to have fun while allowing the tutor to see how well they are able to spell. You can also try an icebreaker game (they can be an amazing way to connect with your learner). Any game is a good idea, but try to keep it simple and have fun!
 
  You can try a little bit of everything to get to know you learner! You can try some of my suggestions, or make up your own (If you have any to add, I'd love to hear them! Please comment!). Just remember, have fun with whatever you do and don't forget to smile!