Set a purpose for the lesson. Tell the student what he/she is going to learn before you begin. "We are going to read passages for comprehension."

Give clear directions. Make sure the student knows what he/she is to do, as well as why he/she is doing it.

"Teach" the Objective. Mentors are not expected to be teachers. If you have difficulty keeping the student working on the objective, refer them to their teacher. If you have difficulty, don't hesitate to ask for help. Demonstrate the objective. Statistics show that children remember 50% of what they see.

Review frequently. Ask the student, "What did you practice today?" If you remember the lesson taught yesterday or last week, question the student about it. He/she will try to remember more if he/she knows you will check up later. Statistics show that children remember 20% of what they hear.

Ask for help when needed. If you need help in explaining a lesson to a student, don't hesitate to tell them to seek help from their teacher.

Give immediate feedback. Give lots of positive praise when the student makes progress. Correct errors when they are made and discuss them with the student at the time. It is just as important to acknowledge a right answer. The student should leave the session with the right idea.

Be positive. Even when the student gives an incorrect answer, accentuate the positive about the lesson. For example, if there were 10 questions in an assignment and the student missed three of them, the score should be stated as seven right, not as three wrong.

Be enthusiastic. Students will take their cue from the mentor. Tone of voice, facial expression, etc. help convey your interest and have an effect on how the student will feel about the lesson and themselves.

Model success. Provide the student with a model of an achieving goal-setter. You have used what you've learned to be successful in life. Help the student see they can learn to succeed.

"One of life's great rules is this: the more you give, the more you get." - William H. Danforth