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Fun Activity Ideas for Tutors The main purpose for the tutoring program is to give the children extra support for reading and homework assisgnments. But who said learning cannot be fun? Children need to have a sense of fun and wonder when it comes to learning opportunities, especially those that are supplemental to school. While the other children are out playing, these children are expected to continue to "behave" and to be serious about their homework and their reading. All of which could present a real struggle for them. The best way to motivate the children is to make their work as exciting as possible. This doesn't mean that the other tasks are abandoned but rather supplemented with some activities that are geared to enhance skills while at the same time promote enjoyment. Start with some general guidlines for keeping it fun!
One of the early projects to start with the child you are tutoring is to find out what their life is all about. Of course, you can just ask! But far more fun can be had, in a very educational way, by interviewing them for a book about their family that you will work on together. One of the activities that the coordinators suggest to get involved with at the start is to help the child write a short book about themself and their family. Some lead questions are provided. These are only the beginning. You will want to share at least some information about yourself, too. You and your child can branch off and discover lots of things about each other. The finished product can use illustrations as well as text.
Storytelling with children has been shown to increase literacy skill development. Research suggests positive benefits whether educators or children are doing the telling. Positive impact includes more preparedness for reading and writing; increase in general language skills; enhanced vocabulary and word comprehension; improved knowledge in both broad and specific topics; increased creativity and imagination; expanded memory. It is a great vehicle for helping children improve listening skills and their improve attention. For a comprehensive discussion of storytelling and ideas for using storytelling with children see: Children as Storytellers
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Morey, October, 2007