When a middle schooler walks into a tutoring session with a Holes essay, the assignment is usually due soon and the student is often stuck. The essay may be a draft with a weak claim, or it may not exist yet. Either way, the tutor has limited time and a student who needs direction.

Holes is a good book for tutoring because the plot is accessible and students usually have opinions about it. That makes it easier to start a conversation. The tutor can ask what the student thinks about a scene and build a claim from the answer.

The main challenge is resisting the urge to fix the essay. A tutor who rewrites sentences may produce a better draft, but the student learns little. The goal is to help students see what to change and why.

It helps to have a predictable session structure. Students feel calmer when they know the steps, and tutors work more efficiently. A thirty-minute session can cover a surprising amount with a clear plan.

A Simple Session Structure

Begin by asking the student to explain the assignment in their own words. Then read the essay or the notes together. Finally, choose one skill to work on, so the session ends with something concrete.

• Ask the student to summarize the prompt and the rubric in their own words
• Have them read one paragraph aloud and say what it is trying to prove
• Identify the biggest gap, such as a missing claim or unexplained evidence
• Practice fixing that gap on one paragraph together
• End with the student writing a short plan for the rest of the essay

Ask Questions Instead of Giving Answers

Questions keep the thinking with the student. Ask what the student wants readers to understand about Stanley, or which scene best proves the point. If the student cannot answer, that is the real problem to address.

When students are stuck, offer options rather than answers. Suggest two possible claims and ask which one feels closer to their thinking. This keeps ownership with the writer.

Use the Teacher's Rubric

Whenever possible, work from the rubric the teacher will use. Tutoring that aligns with the grading criteria is much more effective. Students see how their revisions connect to the outcome.

Programs that serve many students can also use a tool like GraideMind to give rubric-based feedback between sessions, so students arrive with a clearer sense of what to work on. Tutors can then spend session time on conversation rather than first-pass corrections. That is a strong use of limited staff time.

Track Progress Over Time

Keep brief notes after each session about what was covered and what the student should try next. When the student returns, you can pick up where you left off. Over several sessions, patterns emerge that help you focus.

Share progress with teachers when appropriate. A short note about what a student is working on helps the classroom teacher support the same skills. Consistent messages from both sides speed up improvement.