COMPONENTS OF A NEXT STEPSSM TUTORING SESSION

Recommended twice per week - 45 minutes per session

  1. Guided Reading of New Text on Instructional Level (20-22 mins)
    (Many texts take more than one day to complete)
    • Tutor introduces book with a short preview (build/activate background knowledge, point out difficult vocabulary, review previous day's reading when appropriate).
       
    • Echo and/or partner read when necessary (student shows signs of fatigue: yawning, wiggling, sudden increase in errors).
       
    • FOCUS ON COMPREHENSION! Tutor frequently asks student to answer who-what-when-where-why type questions, to confirm prior answers, to retell, or to summarize.
       
  2. Word Study (7-8 mins)
    • Tutor determines starting point (short vowel families, non-rhyming short vowels, or vowel patterns).
       
    • Tutor conducts word sort. If child is ready, do random check.
       
    • Once child shows some proficiency in random check, play Concentration, Bingo, Points, Mystery, or Speed.
       
    • Tutor chooses 6-8 words from sort and conducts Spellcheck ("Say it..., Match it..., Check it").
       
  3. Fluency Reading(7-8 mins)
    • Student may read from an independent level text, or reread a previously read text or do repeated readings.
       
    • When using independent level text, tutor conducts a quick preview to build/activate student's background knowledge.
       
    • For rereads or repeated readings, no preview is needed.
       
    • For repeated readings, use text the student has read recently on his/her instructional level. Do 2, two-minute timings a session. Do four timings per each text selected.
       
  4. Tutor Reads to Student (7-10 mins)
    • This book is at the student's listening comprehension level.
       
    • Tutor reads with expression and discusses content-especially unfamiliar vocabulary, syntax, and concepts.