Middle School Reading/Writing Tutoring: Two Weekly Sessions

This class is composed of two sessions to:
..help a student complete a reading or writing homework assignment
..support efforts to improve or advance a student's overall reading and writing skills
..provide assistance in preparing for an English/language arts test, quiz, or standardized test.

For example: 
1. Given a writing prompt, how best to brainstorm and organize ideas into well-written paragraphs and sentences?  
If the student has no prompt in mind, we will come up with one (or two) in which the student will be interested.  For example:
--What is your favorite video game and why?
--Who is your favorite musical performer and why?
--Which two historical figures or fictional characters would you invite to dinner and what would you talk about?
--What are three reasons it is better to have two dogs, two cats, or one of each as your pets?

2. Asked to read an article or passage, how to correctly answer the questions at the end? 
If the student does not bring a specific assignment, I will provide the reading material and questions.  Many of my students gain valuable insights when I first give them the answers to the questions and have the student explain what evidence in the passage or article makes each of the answers correct.  

By reverse engineering the reading comprehension process, students have to more closely read and analyze the content.  It also provides them a better understanding of how and why the questions were designed the way they were.  After that, students will read different passages and try to answer the questions on their own.