The Prompt-Response Method
An Example

A prompt is a statement or a question
that requests a response.

A question is an example of a prompt.
A reply is an example of a response.

Generally, Tutors Prompt and Students Respond

Tutor:
What is a simile?
Student:
A simile is a way to compare two things using the word like, like, the lecture dragged on and on, like winter in Siberia.
In this example, the Tutor's question is a prompt and the Student's answer is a response. Furthermore, the Tutor's prompt is a leading question, a very common tutoring technique. Another kind of prompt is the fill-in technique.

Prompting with leading questions or incomplete sentences is an example of the Socratic Method.


Sometimes Students Prompt

Student:
I don't get the difference between a simile and a metaphor.
Tutor:
What do you know about similes and metaphors?
In this example, the Student's question is a prompt and the Tutor's answer is a response.

Notice: The Tutor did not answer the Student's question, but instead responded with another prompt in the form of a question. Is this good Tutoring technique? Yes No.

Sometimes a Student's prompt is a diversion from the work

Student:
Comparisons, eh? That reminds me, do you know how this class compares to Professor McLaughlin's? I hear his is more fun.
Tutor:
I haven't heard much about McLaughlin's course. Can you make a sentence comparing the two courses using a simile?
Even in this example, the Tutor responded to the Student's prompt with another prompt, thus
  • keeping the focus on the work.
  • keeping the focus on the Student.
  • requiring the Student to respond and be an active learner.