1 -  Should every parent tutor his or her own child?

2 -  Will my tutoring program differ or conflict with the methods used in our school?

4 -  How is the One-to-One program better or different than other systems of reading instruction?

5 -  Comprehension Skills: How does One-to-One teach comprehension skills?

6 -  Learning disabilities: What methods does One-to-One Home Tutoring  use to overcome "Learning Disabilities" or  "ADHD?"

7 -  Test Preparation: Does One-to-One do standardized test preparation?

8 -  Does One-to-One offer tutoring in mathematics?

9-   Does One-to-One offer tutoring for adults?

1 -  Should every parent tutor his or her own child?

Absolutely not! 

Although most parents are intellectually capable of tutoring their own children, not all parents should do so.  By investigating this website you have already proven your concern and good intentions; however, your likelihood of success as a tutor is largely a matter of your temperament. 

You must first honestly assess your own tendencies.  To that end, would you describe yourself as:

• impatient ?
• anxious    ?
• easily frustrated  ?
• extremely busy ?
• tired?
• disinclined to teach?    
  

If you answered a definitive 'Yes' to two or more from the above list, you should NOT attempt to tutor your own child, since you are probably not well-suited to tutoring.  Instead, you should relax and yield the responsibility to a > Professional Tutor.

If you are uncertain as to your suitability and would like a personal assessment, please > Contact One-to-One Home Tutoring now. 

In making the choice as to whether or not you are well-suited to tutoring, keep in mind that the decision is not about YOU and YOUR preferences. Rather, it is about determining what is the best course of action to resolve the difficulty which brought you here.  Often the most reluctant and/or ambivalent parents become the best tutors.    

A successful tutoring regimen will require your time, patience, love, and a recognition that progress requires overlapping and sometimes boring repetition, coupled with confidence in a well-planned, measured approach.

Whether administered parentally or professionally, progress is not usually linear; although, over longer periods, is nearly certain.

For those responsible adults who feel emotionally well equipped to accept the challenge of self-tutoring, the personal rewards of your combined success will be well worth the efforts you will put into the process.

To get started click here > Tutoring On Your Own, now.

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2 -  Will my tutoring program differ or conflict with the reading and spelling methods used by our school?

It will differ and complement, but not conflict. 

All US schools follow state mandates to teach reading and writing.  School districts are free to choose their preferred method for achieving that end. 
However at their core, all elementary reading programs utilize 3 basic strategies in the early stages of reading instruction:

1. Sight Word Memorization
2. Decoding and Encoding Skill Development
3. Whole Language Skill Development

1. Sight Word Memorization
   
   All students must first be able to instantly recognize the most common words in the English language.  These are known as 'Sight Words'.
   The first 100 of these words comprise 50% of common adult language use.  Many of these words are phonetically inconsistent, and must therefore simply be memorized (just as are numbers, and the letters of the alphabet).  This "look-say" approach to reading instructions was the predominant one in use in the 1950's, with the publication of the "Dick and Jane" reading series.
   
   
2. Decoding and Encoding Skill Development
   
   Beginning readers must next be taught to 'Decode' (sound-out) and 'Encode' (spell) unrecognized words as they are encountered.  A phonic approach to reading is an approach that teaches the relation of the letters (graphemes) to the sounds (phonemes) they represent. Children are taught "rules" about the ways words are written and spelled, and they are taught spelling-sound relationships.  As progress is made, spelling and vocabulary are gradually expanded.
   
3. Whole Language Skill Development
   
   Within the last decade the 'Whole Language Approach' has gained in acceptance.  This approach is based on an assumption that reading is a natural process, much like learning to speak, and that children exposed to a great deal of connected text will naturally become literate. Rather than focusing on reading as a mechanical skill, this approach emphasizes comprehension and appreciation--children are not expected to read the text verbatim. They are also not given explicit instruction in the rules and conventions of the printed text.  This approach is often referred to as  "literature based."   It incorporates the use of interesting 'stories' to hold the student's attention and encourage an interest in reading and writing.

More and more school districts now use a "Balanced Literary Approach".  This means that, although they may emphasize one or another of these methods, they often supplement instructions with the others.

The actual techniques of teaching these skills are not all that varied or complex.  Most school teachers use similar instructional methods to accomplish the goal of teaching reading, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

One-to-One Home Tutoring affirms the validity of each of these methods, and incorporates all three into its system of instruction, depending on the student's needs.  If a particular strategy isn't working for a child, One-to-One will use an alternative approach.   

 Be assured that progress made through reading instruction using the One-to-One Home Tutoring Tutoring On Your Own method can only complement the school's efforts.

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3 -  What method does One-to-One Home Tutoring use to teach reading and spelling?

The One-to-One Program is a comprehensive system of reading instruction that can be used with beginning readers of any age.  However, it is especially effective when used as a remediation tool for use with one child at a time.   The program is:

Individualized:  A quick and easily administered reading test pinpoints the strengths and weaknesses of each child.  Instruction begins at an appropriate level and targets the specific skills which the student has not yet mastered.  The materials can be selected and/or modified to suit various ages, interests, and learning styles.

Systematic:  Each lesson is built upon and reinforces previous learning.

Coherent:  Reading, writing, spelling and comprehension lessons interconnect and support each other.

Diversified:  Some learners require a great deal of repetition before they can master a particular skill.  One-to-One provides an array of materials which reinforce instruction in a variety of formats. 

Interesting: There are worksheets and pages of drill work, but  there are also games, puzzles, and a variety of stories to read.  These stories have been "kid-tested." over the last two decades. Children enjoy them because they are unique, entertaining, and sometimes quite surprising.  They aren't the usual "The fat cat sat in a hat" material that bores them to tears.  Best of all, the children CAN and DO read them!  A student is never given a story unless and until the material that precedes it is mastered.  As we all know when we learn something new, "Nothing succeeds like success"!

4 -  How is the One-to-One program better or different than other systems of reading instruction?

One-to-One does not use one specific method to teach reading and spelling.  That is because the best approach to teaching reading varies from one child to another.  Some students learn best one way, others learn better another way.

The One-to-One Program of instruction is squarely centered on responding to the individual student's learning needs, rather than on relying on any specific philosophical approach to teaching reading. 

These needs are determined by thoroughly assessing the child's learning style, by analyzing individual strengths and weaknesses, by reviewing the student's educational history,  and by investigating any other factors that may contribute to the child's success or failure in reading. 

When this assessment is completed,  a customized system of instruction is planned in advance, but, in order to remain effective, these plans are constantly modified in response to changing conditions or new information.

5 -  How does One-to-One teach comprehension skills?

There are a number of reasons why a child may have problems understanding and interpreting what he or she reads. 

Often comprehension difficulties stem from poor word recognition skills and a weak vocabulary.  It can also be caused by anxiety, an inability to concentrate on material that isn't "interesting,"or abstract reasoning and critical thinking difficulties.

The classroom teacher is seldom able to address these problems on an individual basis.  Instead, all the children are assigned the same material to read and are then asked a series of "comprehension questions" to test understanding.   Comprehension is therefore tested, but seldom taught.

Needless to say, on a 1:1 basis, there are far more effective and interesting ways to foster comprehension.

First of all, children must be taught comprehension skills using materials written at an appropriate level of difficulty.   Very few young children are able to focus on the meaning of a paragraph when it contains a large number of unfamiliar words.  Students are often told to "read it again until you understand it", but not many children have the self-discipline or resolve to do this on their own.  In addition, reading something over and over is a negative rather than positive experience.  This may contribute to a child's sense of failure and an increased aversion to reading.

The material that One-to-One uses to teach comprehension is individualized, which enables the student to read passages with ease and fluency. Instead of concentrating on the mechanics of reading, the child is able to focus on meaning and content. 

The exercises are presented in the form of short, interesting paragraphs that focus on four aspects of comprehension:  Finding Facts, Getting the Main Idea, Drawing Conclusions, and Making Inferences.

The student is also taught strategies for enhancing understanding though visualization, "think-aloud"processes, and self-monitoring techniques.

6 -  What method does One-to-One Home Tutoring  use to teach children with"Learning Disabilities" or  "ADHD?"

One-to-One encourages parents to respond to children in terms of learning "differences" rather than learning "disabilities."

Our brains are extraordinarily complex and as unique as our fingerprints and personalities. We are born with different talents and inclinations which unfold in stages, but at varied rates and proficiencies.   Some children mature more slowly than others, but, if given time, patience, and encouragement, are able to catch up to their peers.  Other children need more repetition and reinforcement before they can learn specific material.  This, however, DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE NEUROLOGICALLY IMPAIRED.  There are many possible reasons for specific "developmental delays," few of which should be considered permanent handicaps.

Unfortunately, many teachers and parents react negatively whenever a student deviates from the norm and are unable to conceal their disappointment and concern.  The child may sense this and become anxious. It is not only heartbreaking to see "stressed out" six, seven or eight year olds, but anxiety in itself can interfere with learning and the initial difficulty can escalate into a tangled web of emotional, social and academic problems. 

Early intervention and individualized instruction are important, but not as important as a parent or tutor who resists "categorizing" a child at an early stage of development. 

Sometimes exceptionally bright children have problems in school because they have difficulty focusing. The material is taught in a way that is not as interesting as their own thoughts or the environment around them.  Is this ADD or just a normal function of a curious brain?  Other children, who have not yet reached the age of reason, are not able to monitor their own impulses and thought processes.  Is medication the most reasonable solution to this difficulty?  Is it prudent to fiddle around with the chemistry of a developing brain when it is not absolutely necessary? 

One-to-One Home Tutoring believes that individualized instruction combined with a behavior modification program is a far better solution.

The difference between Special Education students and so called "Normal" students is that the former usually requires more practice and repetition before they can retain or apply information.  The challenge for the teacher is to provide for this repetition in diverse and interesting ways.  One-to-One uses a large number and variety of worksheets, stories, games and puzzles to reinforce specific skills until they are mastered.

If a child is severely disabled, a multi-sensory teaching approach can be incorporated into the program, which applies Orton-Gillingham principles to instruction. 

7 -  Does One-to-One do standardized test preparation?

Yes, One-to-One Home Tutoring does provide standardized test preparation, but only after an evaluation has been made of each child's specific academic strengths and weaknesses.  It makes little sense to have a child practice skills at which he or she is already proficient. 

In addition to providing the child with guided practice in targeted skills, the student is also taught test-taking strategies which can optimize performance and decrease anxiety.  Children feel reassured when they learn how to make "educated guesses" or can decide how to respond to questions which they find totally baffling.  These tools are especially effective for students whose performance on tests are affected by fearful thoughts and nervous symptoms.   These strategies help direct the child's attention away from themselves and onto the test.