4 Components of an Effective Online Tutoring Session

When it comes to literacy intervention, the setting can vary. Some educators work in small groups, 1:1 in a school or privately. Some work with kids in person while others work with kids virtually. No matter the setting, we know our intervention students all present with a unique set of challenges that require a diagnostic and prescriptive approach to teaching reading and writing. 

We also recognize that when it comes to dyslexia, it rarely acts alone. There are often co-existing conditions that can impact the learning and progress our students make. When we dig into their learning profiles and see all the pieces of the learning puzzle. We also want to recognize the social-emotional side and look at the whole child, NOT just the data or the weaknesses that may present. 

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Michelle Breitenbach, founder of Read to Rewire, for a conversation about tutoring online.

Michelle Breitenbach is an enthusiastic and dynamic tutor and coach. Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, she is a certified dyslexia practitioner. After 7 years as a special educator, she founded Read to Rewire in Miami, Florida. Michelle provides online support as a private educator and offers coaching to teachers worldwide. Her passion lies in teaching others how to replicate the in-person experience online to “reach and teach” kids with/ dyslexia globally —especially those without access.

Her interactive webinars and coaching focus on enhancing student engagement, embracing multisensory methods, minimizing tech reliance for successful online lessons, teaching online with ease, and setting up private tutoring businesses. She also knows how to establish effective behavior systems.

During our conversation with Michelle, she shared with us what makes for a good online tutoring session.

Here are the Four Rs of an Effective Online Tutoring Session

1. Rapport

Build a comfortable and trusting relationship with your students. We know that not every teacher matches with every student and that is okay. Spend time to get to know your student and establish that rapport so that he or she begins to trust you and feel comfortable working with you. 

2. Replicate

You want to replicate the in-person experience so that your student is being taught with fidelity. Think about what in-person intervention looks like and how you can replicate that online to ensure that your online session is as similar as possible to an in-person 1:1 session.

3. Regulate

How you regulate throughout your online lesson is your classroom management in the virtual setting. Set up your virtual classroom so that your student knows you are in command and your lesson will go smoothly. Establish and keep consistent with your behavioral management. A best practice is to use code phrases to eliminate power struggles. 

4. Resources

There are so many available resources at your fingertips. Consider what you already have and how you can bring those tools into your lesson. Instead of starting from scratch when shifting to online and only relying on online tools, look at what you already have for your in-person lessons and think about how you can use those online. If you’ve already used it to teach, you can use it online, too!

Connect with our guest, Michelle Breitenbach! Visit Read to Rewire and find her on Instagram and Facebook.

For our full conversation on online literacy intervention, check out our latest episode of the Together in Literacy podcast. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to rate, leave a positive review, and subscribe!
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