15 Tutor Tips I’ve Learned as a Classical Conversations Tutor

Being a CC tutor is such a unique and rewarding role. You get to guide children in their learning while also encouraging their love for truth, goodness, and beauty. At the same time, it can feel overwhelming to plan and prepare for each week. Over the past few years of tutoring, I’ve learned so much about what works well with little ones. Here are 15 practical tips I’ve learned along the way that can help make your community day smoother and more enjoyable.

Whether you’re a brand-new tutor or just looking for fresh ideas as you start another year, I hope these tips bless and encourage you.

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1. Songs Are Powerful

Songs make memory work fun and unforgettable. They’re easy to prep, easy to use throughout the week, and they stick! I like to make playlists of the CC songs plus any extra ones I’ve written for science, geography, or English. We listen in the car, during breakfast, or even at community day during clean-up. You really can’t go wrong with songs. Here is my playlist for Cycle 2 Week 1. You can find playlists for all 24 weeks of Cycles 1 and 2 on my youtube channel.

2. Limit Hand Motions

While hand motions can be helpful, too many can get confusing, especially for young children. Since timeline already includes motions each week, I usually skip them for other subjects unless they’re very simple and really enhance the lesson.

3. Visit the Dollar Store or Target Dollar Spot

You’d be surprised how many helpful finds you can score for just a few dollars. From little figurines to stickers, paper letters for timeline cards, or fun erasers to use as map markers, I’ve found so many treasures that make memory work hands-on and engaging without breaking the bank.

4. Invest in Timeline Cards

The CC timeline cards are worth every penny. I recommend purchasing all four sets since you’ll cycle through them every year.

I use mine constantly: sometimes I hide them around the room, sometimes we cover one up and try to guess which is missing, and other times we put them in order together. For my younger group, I tape big paper letters on each card to help non-readers identify them.

5. Switch Up Locations

If you tutor younger kids, moving around makes a huge difference. We usually start in our classroom, but I like to take subjects into the hallway or outside when the weather is nice. Just changing the scenery helps keep their attention and gives them a little energy boost.

6. Use Silly Voices and Action Cards

Kids love saying memory work in silly voices or with fun actions! I keep a set of voice and action cards handy, but you could easily write ideas on popsicle sticks. Galloping while chanting math facts or singing the Latin endings in a robot voice never gets old. I especially like doing this at the end of the day when kids are getting tired. It always gets giggles.

You can get my FREE and updated silly voice and action cards by entering your email into the form below and I’ll email them to you!

7. Puppets Are Gold

Bring in a puppet (or finger puppets for each child) and suddenly the room lights up. Puppets are especially great for Latin or English. They can sing along, use funny voices, and add just the right amount of silliness to keep kids engaged. I especially love bringing in these little animal finger puppets to use with my students.

8. Stay Organized With Tubs

Over time, tutors collect a lot of supplies—tiny hands, puppets, erasers, wands, etc. I store mine in clear tubs from IKEA so I can see what’s inside. That way, if I know I want something for the week, I just grab the right tub instead of digging through a giant bag.

9. Repeat What Works

Don’t feel pressure to invent something new every week. If your class loves a certain game or activity, keep doing it! Last year my kids never got tired of silly words in history sentences. Duck Duck Goose, Stop-Drop-Act Like a Rock, or any other favorites can easily be used again and again. Repetition helps kids feel comfortable and makes memory stick.

10. Do Presentations Early

Little ones get tired quickly, and saving presentations for the end can make it hard for them to sit quietly and listen. I like to do a couple subjects of memory work, then switch gears for presentations (sometimes with snack time), then come back to memory work. This keeps things peaceful and focused.

11. Pre-Decide Presentation Order

Instead of asking “Who wants to go first?”, I number the kids off, draw popsicle sticks with numbers, or rotate the order week to week. This avoids arguments, keeps things fair, and helps the kids know what to expect.

12. Movement, Movement, Movement!

With little kids, you can’t have too much movement. If geography has them sitting with maps, make math active with jumping or clapping. Balance sitting time with standing, moving, or dancing. I’ve tutored groups with lots of energetic boys, and high energy plus movement kept everyone engaged.

13. Keep Review Games Handy

You don’t need something brand new each week. Here are some tried-and-true favorites:

• Four Corners – kids pick a corner, roll a die, and the chosen corner answers.
• Stinky Feet – teams pick foot cards with positive or negative points after answering.
• Sparkle – go around in a circle saying parts of the memory work until someone says “Sparkle!”
• Duck Duck Goose – works great for Latin, English, or science.
• Stop, Drop, Act Like a Rock – kids dance, stop, drop, curl up like rocks, and one is tapped to answer.

These games never get old and make review so much fun.

14. Painter’s Tape Is a Tutor’s Best Friend

I always keep a roll of painters tape in my bag. You can tape timeline cards to the wall, make hopscotch-style lines on the floor, or create squares for games. It’s simple, cheap, and endlessly useful.

15. Write on Your Tutor Board

CC encourages a “stick-in-the-sand” approach, so instead of printing memory work to tape up, handwrite it each week. I made my own dry-erase board out of shower board, and prepping it each week with relaxing music has become part of my routine. It keeps things simple and reusable year after year.

Final Thoughts

These are the 15 tips I’ve learned over my years of tutoring Abecedarians in our CC community. I hope they give you some new ideas, simplify your planning, and encourage you as you head into your own community day.

I also write blog posts with fun tutor ideas for each week. I have all 24 weeks of Cycle 1 completed, and I’m currently working my way through Cycle 2. You can check out my Cycle 1 Tutor Posts here and my Cycle 2 Tutor Posts here.

Do you have a favorite tutor tip? I’d love to hear it! Drop a comment below so we can learn from each other.

If you’d like more ideas, be sure to check out my resource library, where I share free printable games to practice memory work, and visit my shop for more homeschool resources. And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow along on Instagram for weekly tips and encouragement.