Dear Lucy,
Please give me any tips or advice in what my approach should be tutoring a 10 year old, Brazilian ,grade 5 student who has just started attending an English speaking school, and needs help keeping up with the class. Her school advised her parents that she needed extra help. She knows some English, and is receiving 2 hours a week of in school tutoring from the school's ESL teacher. I start with her on Monday. She is being given the same homework and classwork as the other students in the class. How do I successfully teach her the vocab and grammar she needs for grade 5 Science, English, Math, Social Studies, plus all the rest that is involved with Grade 5. I am a trained elementary school teacher and have recently acquired ESL basic training in teaching adults, young learners and Business English. I would so appreciate your advice,not only because of your advanced training but vast experience too.
Sincerely,
Coleen
How do I help an ESL student with homework?
Moderator: Joe
Re: ESL Homework tutor
Dear Coleen,
I suggest you try to find out what she’s studying with her other teachers, either by speaking to them directly or by asking your student to show you her class books. You can then take the lesson she is currently working on in class and/or a future lesson and do some work around the topic. Design some vocabulary and language exercises or try to find some suitable exercises in an EFL book. If you decide to design your own exercises, you can use the worksheet generator on this site. Alternatively, you can look at your own favourite EFL books and use the exercises there as inspiration. After presenting the language, remember to do lots of revision. Try to use a vocab bag (I’ve answered many questions on this topic in this forum) this is excellent for revising vocabulary. Also do work on pronunciation as your student will need to understand the spoken word. You can also ask your student to describe what she is learning in class, this will activate the language she is learning.
Please feel free to write in again if you would like more, or more specific, ideas.
Lucy
I suggest you try to find out what she’s studying with her other teachers, either by speaking to them directly or by asking your student to show you her class books. You can then take the lesson she is currently working on in class and/or a future lesson and do some work around the topic. Design some vocabulary and language exercises or try to find some suitable exercises in an EFL book. If you decide to design your own exercises, you can use the worksheet generator on this site. Alternatively, you can look at your own favourite EFL books and use the exercises there as inspiration. After presenting the language, remember to do lots of revision. Try to use a vocab bag (I’ve answered many questions on this topic in this forum) this is excellent for revising vocabulary. Also do work on pronunciation as your student will need to understand the spoken word. You can also ask your student to describe what she is learning in class, this will activate the language she is learning.
Please feel free to write in again if you would like more, or more specific, ideas.
Lucy
Lucy is the author of Lucy Pollard's Guide to Teaching English