Supporting Transitions

The new school year is a time of transition for most students.  They have to get used to new teachers, new classrooms and maybe even new schedules or schools.  Now might be a really good time to invest in some tutoring help.  This often gives kids a great foundation so that they may truly blossom in the new situations they are confronting. 

Here are the kinds of calls I am getting.  (Identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.) One mother booked six sessions to help her son transition to a higher elementary school grade.  Her son was unhappy and anxious after moving to a new school last year.  He missed many days of school.  Plus, he has struggled with math. So, Mom wanted to solidify a place for him to get ongoing support, encouragement and confidence as he gets used to his new grade and situation. The plan is to fade the support, when appropriate. 

Similarly, another Mom wanted to support her daughter with a move from a private school to public school.  Reading and writing were identified as concerns.  Mom didn’t want her daughter to get lost in the bigger class size at her public school.  She signed up for once a week sessions to help keep her daughter on track. 

Neither of these students qualify for special education services at their schools.  They’re intelligent, gifted individuals who just need some support in targeted areas.  They may be short term clients or we may work together throughout the school year.  It is up to their needs and progress.

So, I invite you to take a look at what transitions your child may be going through.  Could academic support help your child navigate their fall transitions more successfully? If you want to follow up, please consider booking a free consultation via my website – www.KSlearning.org 

Another School Year About to Begin  

Here it is – the beginning of August 2023 already.  Summer is drawing to a close.  The new school year is about to begin.  If you are in the market for an educational therapist (or super tutor!), please consider KS Learning Strategies. Here are some success stories from last year.

A fourth grade student became more proficient at decoding “big, fat” words (or multi-syllables).  She increased her fluency reading by over one grade level. She grew from a reluctant reader to enjoying chapter books. Her evaluation of my services – Thank you for helping me read better.  You are great and nice and kind."

I specialize in working with students with reading challenges, but also tutor elementary and middle school students in math, writing, organization, study skills and social-emotional issues.  I coached an 8th grader (who HATED math) through linear equations and algebra.  He had trouble attending school regularly but rarely missed a tutoring session.

Another fourth grader was anxious about attending school.  I worked with the family and school so that when she was ready to attend school again she was caught up in her studies.  Her mother said, “Thank you for your support over the last few months. Our daughter really enjoys coming to see you (she wanted to keep it up through the summer!) which is impressive and says a lot about your skills working with, and engaging, kids. I hope we can start up again in the fall to help maintain her confidence with math.

Please reach out if you would like more information.  Best way to reach me is via my website – www.KSlearning.org or via email – Kellie@KSlearning.org Thanks for your consideration!

Consistent Tutoring Makes A Difference

A while back, I worked with a fourth grader, Cora (not her real name) who struggled with reading, but also her self esteem.  She was diagnosed with a learning disability. She knew the sounds that letters make, but she was challenged by remembering letters and letter patterns.  It’s called orthographic dyslexia.

At her public school, there were limited opportunities to address her kind of dyslexia.  For example, teachers aren’t usually trained in the Lindamood Bell technique (Seeing Stars curriculum) that I use.  In Cora's educational therapy with me, we worked directly to build her visual memory of letters and letter patterns. Here’s a taste of how we did that.   

I show Cora cards with syllables on them; then I hide them.  Cora air writes the letters, often in a color she chooses. This helps her remember.  Then I ask her to take out letters, or put in new letters, or tell me the third letter.  All of these questions require her to check (& build) her visual memory.  The syllable cards can start with two letters, if needed, but go all the way to three syllable words.  As Cora's memory builds, I add letters and syllables to this task.

Building visual memory like this takes time…and consistency.  Another current student of mine, a second grader, has recently jumped in her ability.  She has been seeing me at least twice a week for about 9 months.  Now she is reading 5-6 letter words and also two syllable words.  Her skills and confidence are growing. 

With Cora, we also had to confront her self esteem.  At the time, she didn't know that she could take the leaps that my second grader has taken.  She had more years of experiencing her reading challenges and seeing that reading somehow come more easily for others.  This was especially hard because Cora was so talented in other areas.  

I like to say that it was her learning disability talking.  Orthographic dyslexia is tricky.  I kept encouraging Cora and demonstrating that she could make progress through tackling and remembering longer syllables, for example.  But, sometimes it was like she had this bruise and that I kept re-aggravating it.  We slowly developed trust, which was key, so she was more likely to believe that she could make progress.  

It's my years of experience that gives me the belief that students like Cora and my second grader will build their reading skills.  I hold the promise of their potential that the smart, capable, gifted students like Cora might not believe yet.  Change is possible.  Reading challenges can be overcome with consistent effort and time.