My Approach

I have been tutoring privately since 2010. I have been trained in Structured Literacy (the Orton-Gillingham method) and Structured Word Inquiry. They both are of tremendous value when teaching a student to spell and read. I use a combination of the two when working on these skills with my students. This ensures that my students are well-grounded in the phonology of the English language while also learning about its structure and morphology.

However, spelling and reading are very complex skills that intersect and interact with other elements of language literacy. I have found that they cannot be effectively taught in isolation. 

I therefore take a comprehensive approach to my students’ literacy learning. As we learn about spelling and begin to apply this understanding to decoding, I also weave in grammar and sentence writing which lead to many discussions of syntax and semantics. I also move beyond decoding, to work on fluency and reading comprehension. 

There is research to support this comprehensive approach, particularly in the work of Dr. Maryanne Wolf (please see my resources page).

I also put a strong focus on writing throughout all my teaching. As part of our word studies, we work on using the different words in a Word Family in the context of sentences. As part of our work on grammar, we learn how the parts of speech are the building blocks of sentences and then we move on to learning about different sentence structures and the many types of phrases we use to build them. As part of reading comprehension, we learn to look for the subject(s) and verb(s) in sentences so that we can begin to understand how pull the central meaning out of long, complicated sentences. Gradually, we build up to learning how to write short answers and full paragraphs.

I use a combination of child-led inquiry and direct instruction in my lessons. I believe strongly in child-centred learning, and I tailor my lessons to the learning needs of each individual student. Each lesson is based on the work done in the prior lesson. This allows me to build on new discoveries or pivot in new directions depending on where the student’s learning is taking us.

I have a huge collection of picture books, graphic novels and novels for kids of all ages. I use this as a resource to find texts based on each student’s interests and reading level. We read and discuss books at every lesson.

My goal is too help my students build strong skills in reading, writing, spelling and studying. Skills that will help carry them through school and through life.