If you are new to tutoring—or even if you have been tutoring for a while—you know how time-consuming it can be to plan lessons and find the right resources for every part of your session.

When I first started tutoring as part of my Orton-Gillingham certification, I found myself spending hours creating word lists, writing sentences, and putting together controlled stories.

That experience eventually became part of the reason I started creating resources for Teachers Pay Teachers.

But planning the lesson is only part of the challenge.

Tutoring often means working with a student after they have already spent a full day at school. In the summer, you may be competing with sunshine, friends, and everything else they would rather be doing.

That means successful tutoring is not only about providing effective instruction. It is also about finding ways to keep students engaged.

Make Multisensory Practice More Engaging

Multisensory activities can add variety to tutoring sessions and give students different ways to interact with the skills they are learning.

Over the years, I have used tools such as:

• Light-up wands

• Magnetic boards

• Glitter boards

• Gel in sealed bags

• Sand trays

• Dry-erase boards

Simple materials like these can make the kinesthetic portions of a lesson feel much more engaging without changing the skill you are teaching.

But sometimes the biggest challenge is not getting students to participate in the hands-on activities.

It is getting them excited about the reading.

Make Word Lists More Meaningful

Word lists are useful for targeted practice, but reading one word after another can quickly become repetitive.

One simple way to make word reading more engaging is to activate meaning while students read.

After a student reads a line of words, ask a quick question such as:

• Which word means ________?

• Which word is the opposite of ________?

• Which word would make sense in this sentence?

• Which word belongs in this category?

• Which word could you use to describe ________?

These quick questions encourage students to think about the meaning of the words instead of simply decoding them and moving on.

Turn Sentence Reading Into Fluency Practice

Sentence reading gives you another opportunity to add engagement while building fluency.

Instead of asking a student to read a sentence the same way every time, change the purpose of the rereading.

Try asking the student to:

• Read the sentence in meaningful phrases.

• Read it with excitement.

• Read it angrily.

• Read it shyly.

• Read it as their favourite character.

• Read it as a statement.

• Read it as a question.

• Read it as an exclamation.

These small changes can make repeated reading feel more like a challenge or game while still giving students valuable fluency practice.

Choose Controlled Text That Interests Your Student

Controlled text is an important part of structured reading instruction, but the content still needs to engage the learner.

Whenever possible, choose stories that connect to your student’s interests.

It is also important to make sure students have the background knowledge and vocabulary they need before reading.

If unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts are getting in the way, take a few minutes to pre-teach them before beginning the text.

This allows the student to focus more attention on applying the reading skills you are targeting.

If you are looking for controlled text with built in fluency practice and  comprehension, I have a comprehensive set  here for OG levels 1-4. It includes controlled passages, sentence and word reading fluency.

Check for Fluency AND Understanding

A student can successfully decode the words on a page without fully understanding what they have read.

If a student is reading disfluently, I often ask them to reread the sentence and then do a quick comprehension check.

You might ask:

• What just happened?

• Who was that sentence about?

• Why did the character do that?

• What do you think will happen next?

• What does that word mean in this sentence?

The goal is to help students understand that reading is not simply about saying the words correctly.

We read to make meaning.

If the mechanics of decoding are taking up too much of the student’s attention, rereading can give them another opportunity to put the words together and think about what the sentence is actually saying.

Add Games to Your Tutoring Lessons

Learning games are another fantastic way to motivate students.

They do not have to be complicated.

In fact, some of the easiest games to prepare can be extremely effective.

One simple game I use for practising heart words requires only previously taught word cards, a whiteboard, and a marker.

Try This Heart Word Memory Game

Lay out five previously taught heart words.

Ask the student to read each word aloud.

Then have the student close their eyes.

Remove one of the words.

When they open their eyes, ask them to identify which word is missing and write it on the whiteboard.

If they are having trouble remembering the word, provide a clue such as:

“It starts with…”

Then repeat the game with another word.

It is simple, quick, and gives students repeated exposure to previously taught words without making the practice feel like another word list.

Use Games Without Losing the Purpose of the Lesson

Games can be motivating, but the goal is not simply to make tutoring entertaining.

The strongest learning games still provide meaningful practice with the exact reading skill a student is working on.

A game might be used to practice:

• Heart words

• Phonics patterns

• Decoding

• Word recognition

• Reading fluency

• Sentence reading

• Comprehension

When the activity matches the instructional goal, students get the benefit of repeated practice while feeling like they are doing something different.

If you are looking for more games, I have a  popular fluency resource that includes games and activities. You can find a free version here and the bundle here.

Build a Toolkit of Resources You Can Reuse

One of the most helpful things you can do as a tutor is gradually build a collection of resources and activities that you know work well.

You do not need to reinvent every lesson.

Having ready-to-use word lists, controlled sentences, stories, fluency activities, and games can make planning much easier while still allowing you to individualize instruction for each student.

Over time, you will also discover which activities work particularly well for different learners.

Some students love a competitive game.

Others would rather use a whiteboard or sand tray.

Some students respond immediately when you turn sentence reading into silly voices or character voices.

The instructional goal can stay the same while the way students practice it changes.

Teach From a Place of Joy and Encouragement

Above all, remember that your energy matters.

Tutoring can be difficult for students, especially when you are working on an area that has already caused them frustration at school.

Celebrate their progress.

Be animated.

Be encouraging.

Find ways to make practice feel successful.

If you approach the lesson with enthusiasm and joy, your student is much more likely to bring that same energy to the work.

Effective tutoring does not mean every minute has to feel like a game.

It means creating an environment where students can practice important skills, experience success, and gradually build confidence as readers.