P R I V A T E T U T O R I N G
For information on small-group lessons, please click here.
For French Immersion K-5, we can work on:
- Reading
- Writing
- Grammar
- Emergent fluency, songs, and games
- Conversation, vocabulary, and oral French learning games
- Homework or classwork support
- Math and English support also available
For students grades 6-8:
- Homework/classwork support in:
- Comprehension
- Reading
- Writing
- Grammar
- Conversation, vocabulary, fluency
For all private tutoring, I will email or Zoom (your preference) to discuss the student's progress and areas for improvement after 3-4 sessions. In addition to this the initial consultation, I will continue to email or Zoom with parents every 6-8 weeks with a progress report and any suggestions for supporting their learning at home. In addition, parents are welcome to come online for the last 5 minutes of the tutoring session to discuss what we worked on or ask any questions.
Here is a sample of potential lesson focus:
Here is a sample of potential lesson focus:
- decoding, fluency, comprehension
- sentence structure and writing powerful sentences
- when does c/g make a soft sound
- developing emergent fluency and phonological awareness
- developing vocabulary through songs and/or French learning games
He is a completely different student and learner since the start of summer!! I am so happy with his progress, but also his confidence and he seems to be really enjoying it! I never have to convince him; I just remind him of the time and he looks at his watch and is always on time with you. I am just so happy with everything! I cannot thank you enough, seriously.
- Jolene, parent
What is a tutoring session like?
Sessions are 55 minutes long and use Zoom as their platform. Here is a sample from a grade 3 tutoring session with reading as the focus:
1. We start with a short conversation to touch base and connect with the student. We do this in French, and our level depends on the student's comfort level. Students will often be excited to share a fun activity they did recently. For students emerging in their oral French language skills, I encourage them to use some French in their sentences since every time we practice, we improve!
2. I start sharing my screen so the student can see both our faces and sheet I have opened. We review phonics and sound blends, building confidence and recognition of these sounds in isolation.
3. After this, we discuss a specific grammatical concept. This may be a quick review, or a longer practice. We pick just one concept to work on isolation that we will work on in context through a book. Some examples of this might be: practising verbs with -ent (we do not pronounce the ending!), or knowing when c/g makes a soft sound (ss, jj).
4. Movement break! We will move around to French instructions, which also practises oral French comprehension.
5. We read a book, being sure to emphasize the grammatical concept we worked on earlier as it occurs in context. I like to open up "sticky notes" onto my computer so my student can see me break up and manipulate words.
6. We play a learning game. We might play a French vocabulary game where we play Tic-Tac-Toe by using the word in a sentence. Snakes and Ladders is a popular reading game. For younger students working on oral production and developing the capacity and vocabulary to spontaneously express thoughts in French, "toutou" (stuffie) guessing games are quite popular.
Tutoring sessions are tailored to each student. Although this seems quite structured, I keep things flexible to adjust to what the child needs in that moment. I like to add in quick movement or stretch breaks. I also love taking the time to talk about growth mindset and talk about persevering and its role in learning! For Kindergarten and grade 1 students, this format changes, as I like to incorporate lots of songs, chants, and learning games.
