Kyle TS #8

Earlier this week I met up with Katie and her tutee Matthew at the Leon Country Library. Katie has been tutoring Matthew since the beginning of our TEFL class and she's become quite adept at learning how to spark his interest and keep him attentive and focused. I was told I would start tutoring Matthew as well, so I was excited to get a sneak peek at his behaviors before I began my tutoring with him. Katie started the lesson with a simple conversation, how he was, what he did that day, etc. Matthew can speak English like any 10 year old, and compared to the 5-year old I tutor, I was surprised at his speaking ability. Matthew and Katie walked around the library for a few moments, finding a level-appropriate book for them to read. The appropriateness of the book was measured by Katie, who knows that Matthew would rather read books at a lower level. Once they found the book, Matthew began doing some math problems (per request of his mother) while Katie read a few pages of the book to be able to ask comprehension questions. Once he finished his homework, they switched books while Matthew read and Katie checked his math problems. Matthew had a few issues here and there with staying focused on the reading, but instead of forcing his focus, Katie would simply detour the conversation back to the material at hand.