Engaging Younger Learners

How do you keep younger students focused for a full hour?

I’ve been reflecting on what makes an effective tutoring session. One-to-one tuition is pedagogically quite different from classroom teaching. On the one hand, that is what makes tutoring so effective; however, it also places demands on a student’s concentration.

My sessions typically last an hour. That works perfectly for my Year 6 to Year 13 students, and it matches the length of a school lesson.

But an hour is a long time for younger children to sit still. I aim to build in learning games, quizzes and creative writing exercises to keep the youngest students engaged. I’m also considering adding a short movement or rest break partway through.

What else works? I’d love to hear from primary school teachers, and from tutors who work with this age group!