While every tutor session is unique, writing tutors follow general protocols at each stage of the writing process. At the start of most tutorials, writing tutors read and discuss the assignment instructions and help students clarify goals for the session.
Pre-writing & Planning
Some students want to discuss the assignment instructions in detail and develop a plan of action. Some find it helpful to brainstorm paper topics or sketch an outline with their tutors. Others need help with reading strategies to comprehend and manage information from sources.
Revising Drafts
Many students bring in a first draft of their assignment. Writing tutoring works best when these students prepare a few questions in advance or identify a particular section of the piece they want to review with the tutor. Students or tutors will read the draft aloud. At the end of each paragraph or section, tutors make comments and ask questions about the thesis or hypothesis, paragraph development and organization, use of evidence, and/or the citation of sources. Students and tutors will typically focus on a few specific issues in a single tutorial.
Editing or Proofreading
Tutors help students identify syntax, punctuation, and grammar issues; they review rules and patterns, and help students explore options for making editorial choices. This process takes time and requires student engagement, which is very different from proofreading and editing for students. Tutors are neither proofreaders nor editors.