Tutoring
The key to academic confidence is feeling prepared and capable at school.
We work with you to create a tutoring plan for your child that will provide the extra help – or challenge – that he/she needs.
Kindergarten – Grade 3
In the early grades, children need to build strong core skills that prepare the child for school and ensure confidence right from the start!
- Phonemic awareness; Building reading skills through phonics first; comprehension & vocabulary
- Penmanship; Writing skills (Sentences, paragraphs, stories); Spelling
- Core math skills
- Fine motor skills (printing letters and numbers); Penmanship
- French
Grades 4 – 8
School expectations are becoming more demanding, and some children are falling behind. It is essential to prevent this or catch it early, because it will become more and more difficult to catch up.
- Reading (core skills and comprehension; vocabulary)
- Writing (creative and expository writing; grammar; spelling)
- Math, French,
- Study skills; help with homework and assignments on an as-needed or regular basis.
- Assisting student in research, proofreading, editing
Grades 9+
Flagging motivation due to poor achievement can lead to difficulty with establishing and maintaining healthy goals and priorities. Teens need to be good at something, and wouldn’t it be great if that “something” was their bright present and future!
- English, Math, Science, Computer Studies
- Study and research skills
- Homework help on an as-needed or regular basis
- Assignments, essays and creative writing; speech preparation
- Proofreading and editing of written work
Special Programs for Children Learning English as a Second Language, or Those with Language Delays or Language-Based Learning Disabilities
Language for Learning (Preschool to Grade 2)
“Language for Learning helps develop strong language skills and give young children and ESL students a solid foundation for literacy. Not only do students learn language skills, they also learn to think. They learn to group objects in different ways, to see the logic behind rules and strategies, and to know how and when to apply these rules. Language for Learning provides practice in vocabulary, word and sentence variety, the development of precise word knowledge, and in hard to teach concepts such as some/all/none and same/different.” – From SRA Online
Corrective Reading (Grade 3 and up)
“Corrective Reading provides intensive intervention for students in Grades 4-12 who are reading one or more years below grade level. This program delivers tightly sequenced, carefully planned lessons that give struggling students the structure and practice necessary to become skilled, fluent readers and better learners. Four levels for decoding plus four for comprehension address the varied reading deficits and skill levels found among older students. Includes a point system based on realistic goals to motivate students who are often expected to fail.” – From SRA Online
Spelling Mastery (Grade 1 to 6)
“Spelling Mastery teaches students dependable spelling skills by blending the the phonemic, morphemic, and whole-word approaches. Spelling Mastery interweaves these three approaches according to students' skill development and provides straightforward lessons to help you efficiently and effectively teach the spelling skills students need to become proficient writers.” – from SRA Online
Tutoring Using the Orton-Gillingham Approach (Grade 1 and up)
Named for Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham, this is a multisensory, systematic phonic approach that builds reading and spelling skills through the use of mnemonic devices and activities that are suited to the child’s learning style, utilizing the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways. The approach is customized to suit the child’s individual needs. Classes are fast-paced and provide the repetition needed to achieve mastery.
Signs your child may need extra help:
- Difficulty focusing in class or on schoolwork
- Reluctance bringing homework home
- Low test scores and/or report card grades
- Finds reading difficult (for students above grade two)
- Does not like going to school
- Does not like to talk about school
- Behaves like the “Class clown” or gets into trouble
Vee Ledson has taught and tutored children from preschool to OAC. As the daughter of Sidney Ledson, author of “Teach Your Child to Read in 60 Days”, she came by her interest in teaching quite naturally. Vee has taught a variety of elementary French programs, including the acclaimed “Gestures” approach; she has experience using the Kumon method of teaching math, Kindermusik music education, and the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading remediation. Vee is also a certified academic therapist (interim) with the Canadian Academy of Therapeutic Tutors (Orton-Gillingham).
Allan Randall has an M.Sc. in Computer Science and taught math, science, and computer programming for many years at private schools and colleges. He has also brought his interest in magic and chess to children through various clubs in Toronto schools. Parents comment that Allan has a knack for explaining complicated concepts; his years of experience have afforded him the opportunity to really understand how to put students at ease and teach them things that, before, seemed impossible!
Mary Kindos is the vice principal of Laurel Academy. She has trained in using Direct Instruction programs and has significant experience with SRA’s Corrective Reading and Spelling Mastery programs, and with the excellent, simplified Handwriting Without Tears program. Mary has worked with a variety of students, and her enthusiasm and energy always win them over, turning frustration into motivation. Parents have been thrilled to see their previously struggling readers build strong skills and sneak a flashlight and a good book into bed for late-night reading!
|
