A tutor is a person who assists professional educators by assisting one or more students in achieving instructional objectives. This person works under the direction of the supervising teacher. Tutors offer an attractive option to accommodating the various levels of instructional needs that are found within a classroom. Individual tutoring of students with basic skill deficits is often more effective than small group instruction--whether conducted by the teacher or a trained paraeducator. Individual tutoring allows:

• instruction precisely tailored to the pupil's skill level,
• intensive instruction time,
• continuous feedback,
• improved performance, and
• relative freedom from distraction.

Use of paraeducator tutors can become an important component of individualizing instruction in the public schools. Such a resource may be crucial for the integration of students with disabilities into the regular school program.

The paraeducator tutor needs to have adequate training and an understanding of his/her roles and responsibilities. Therefore, a specific and planned training program is essential.

A well structured tutoring session provides the appropriate support required to motivate the tutor and to provide feedback to him/her. Regular supervision and monitoring are important to assure that the appropriate behaviors are maintained by both the tutor and the student.

Effective use of the paraeducator as a tutor requires:

• accurate assessment of the student's entry level skills,
• selection of appropriate materials by a professionally trained teacher,
• instruction broken down into several small steps for the tutor to follow,
• explanation of conditions in which the lesson is to be delivered, e.g.,location, time limits, restrictions, or special facilities,
• necessary materials, collected and placed in a convenient location in the classroom,
• collection of data at each tutoring session and the communication of student's progress to the teacher, and
• monitoring and revision of tutoring sessions by the teacher or consultant on a regular basis.

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