Online Tutoring
As of March 2020, we are holding tutoring sessions online using Zoom and Google Meet. While each situation may be unique, we typically arrange to meet with each student 1-2 times per week for 30-minute or one-hour sessions. We tutor students throughout the year, including during the summer. We expect to meet with students at an established day and time, and work with parents to reschedule sessions when needed.
We will usually establish one schedule from Labor Day to mid-June, and a separate schedule from mid-June to late August. Given the uncertainty of how schools will reopen in the fall of 2020, we are staying current with the news as it develops, and will let parents know about scheduling concerns as they come up.
Collaboration
In the interest of addressing each student's needs individually, we prioritize collaboration with parents and teachers, as well as learning specialists, psychologists, therapists and other para-educators. In reaching out to other professionals, it is our intent to complement the work they are doing - not to complicate it. When available, we read background information on each student, including teacher comments, report cards, IEPs, 504 plans, and psychoeducational evlauations.
Tutoring Subjects
The subject areas and skills listed below are organized into grade ranges that are typical to the development of those skills. That said, part of our mission is to work with children on the level where they're performing, regardless of grade level. Additionally, we have listed metacognitive skills that are typically related to some subject areas, but are often still addressed regardless of a child's age or grade level.
Math
Grades 1-3
Typical math skills: counting, addition and subtraction, place value in tens and ones, counting in groups and skip counting, multiplication.
Metacognitive skills: Numeracy, number sense, math vocabulary, one-to-one correspondence, subitizing, proprioception, directionality and fine motor skills.
Grades 4-5
Typical math skills: Place value to 1000s and 10,000s, multiplication, division, fractions.
Metacognitive skills: Pattern recognition, deductive reasoning, algebraic thinking.
Grades 6-8
Typical math skills: Fluency with standard operations, rational and irrational numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages, positive and negative numbers, working with variables, algebraic thinking, analyzing and graphing data.
Metacognitive skills: Deductive and inductive reasoning, part/whole relationships.
Grades 9-10
Pre-Algebra, Algebra and Geometry
Metacognitive skills: Algebraic thinking and advanced pattern recognition, factoring and simplifying expressions, applying formulas.
Language
Grades 1-3
Reading skills: Decoding, phonics, phonological and phonemic awareness, sight words, fluency and comprehension. Writing skills: Encoding, letter formation and handwriting, punctuation, capitalization and sentence structure.
Grades 4-5
Reading skills: Vocabulary, affixes, Greek and Latin roots, mutlisyllabic words, reading comprehension and reading fluency, making inferences. Writing skills: Further capitalization and punctuation rules, constructing sentences and paragraphs, identifying main ideas and details, organizing ideas with outlines and graphic organizers.
Grades 6-8
Reading skills: Vocabulary, prefixes and suffixes, chunking text for reading comprehension, making inferences, recognizing themes in literature and poetry, recognizing structural elements and abstract elements of humor, sarcasm, irony, parody and satire.
Writing skills: Structuring paragraphs and essays, Organizing and sequencing ideas, paraphrasing, summarizing, forming introductions and conclusions.
Grades 9-12
Reading skills: Analyzing and critiquing themes in literature and poetry, recognizing literary elements in various genres, advances reading comprehension and fluency.
Writing skills: Structuring essays, developing logical arguments wtihin essays, supporting thesis statements, developing analytical and critical writing skills, engaging in the editing and revising process.