🥋 Ages 15–18 · Learn to tutor

MentorDojo

The fastest way to understand something is to teach it. MentorDojo trains you to tutor a younger child the way great teachers do — wait three seconds, give the smallest hint first, praise the strategy not the trait, and notice the confusion. Never hand over the answer.

Teaching a 4–9-year-old is real service — and the tutor learns as much as the child (Cohen, Kulik & Kulik). Log your volunteer hours here.

🎯 Train the moves

Start here

The moves Train the four moves, then order a smallest-hint-first ladder — the same fading-hint law our tutors follow. Session runner Plan a real 15-minute session on a younger-band app and log your volunteer hours on your device.

A real case · you decide

Devon's first tutoring session

Devon, 17 — volunteering to tutor a 6-year-old, Mia, who is stuck sounding out words

The idea in play: a good tutor gives the SMALLEST help that unsticks the learner — never the answer — and waits.

Mia stares at the word "ship" and goes quiet. Devon knows the answer and it is right there. His whole instinct is to just say it and move on so she does not feel bad.

Devon remembers the dojo: after you ask, count three slow seconds. Silence feels like forever to a helper and like thinking time to a learner. Handing over the answer feels kind and teaches nothing.

Mia is not failing — she is working. The job is to give the least nudge that lets HER get it, then get out of the way and let the win be hers.

Mia goes quiet, looking at "ship". Devon wants to help. What does he do?

Mia finally reads a tough sentence after real effort. Devon celebrates by saying…

Devon taught Mia to read "ship" by almost not helping at all. That is the paradox of tutoring — and teaching it is why he understands the fading-hint idea better than any lecture could have made him.

Train the tutoring moves →

The four master-tutor moves

Each move is one habit great tutors share. Learn the four and you can tutor anyone.

Wait the Heron — Wait time — after you ask, count three slow seconds of silence before you help.
Hint the Hummingbird — Smallest hint first — give the least help that could unstick them, then wait again.
Process-Praise Pika — Praise the effort and the strategy, not “you’re so smart”.
Notice the Newt — Notice the confusion — name what the child actually did before you correct it.

🔒 MentorDojo runs entirely on your device. No account, no ads, no AI, no data about you or the child you tutor. Your session log and volunteer hours stay here and print for your school.