Ideas / The four-move lesson
An idea from Sui Learning
The four-move lesson
Every session is the same four moves: greet, review progress, teach one basic in context, then catch up and counsel.
In plain words
It should feel like a conversation, not a class. Open warmly for a minute or two. Review projects like a friendly manager: are they on schedule, what blocked them, what did the block teach them? Take something that came up naturally and teach one thing through it; if nothing came up, skip it. Give the last segment to whatever is on their mind, and listen more than you speak. If you spend more time counseling than lecturing, you're probably doing it right.
Try this
Session checklist. 1. Greet and small talk. 2. Review progress on projects, then the personal side. 3. One basic, taught through something that came up. 4. Catch up and counsel.
The research behind it
- Benjamin Bloom, "The 2 Sigma Problem" (1984).
- Teaching emotional skills raises academic achievement. Joseph Durlak and colleagues, meta-analysis of social and emotional learning (2011), as cited in Sui Learning.
Questions this answers
- What does a homeschool lesson look like?
- How long should a homeschool lesson be?
- How do I structure one-on-one tutoring?
In the book
In Sui Learning: The Handbook: The Lesson; Teaching: What It Looks Like.
Read the full answers
Is one-on-one tutoring better than a classroom?What does a good homeschool lesson look like?What is Sui Learning by Trenton Rich?
Related ideas
Two Sigma: you are the advantageRunning projectsBasics in context