Reading Tutoring
My approach to tutoring reading is to ensure a student has foundational reading skills before emphasizing fluency and comprehension. In almost all cases, a student who has trouble understanding what’s been read lacks the ability to decode.
Reading tutoring begins with an assessment of the student’s skills and then lesson plans are developed based upon the data collected.
The progressions of reading skills can be summarized as follows:
• phonological skills such as rhyming, breaking sentences into words, breaking words into syllables, breaking words and syllables into sounds, and changing sounds to make new words;
• sound-symbol relationship of the basic and advanced codes
• application of phonics skills while reading books and stories
• fluency
• vocabulary acquisition
• comprehension
I use a variety of activities and games to reinforce learning. Lesson plans are adjusted based upon a student’s demonstration of skills.
Additionally, since research has shown a strong correlation between handwriting and reading, proper letter formation is practiced, if needed.
Math Tutoring
My approach to math tutoring is to ensure a student has an understanding of each concept or skill, not a set of rules and procedures to follow, or mnemonics and rhymes to recite. I show how each new concept connects to those previously learned. I believe learning should be fun, so I incorporate games whenever possible.
Math tutoring begins with an assessment of the student’s skills and then lesson plans with an emphasis on real world applications are developed based upon the data collected.
The progression of elementary and middle school math skills can be summarized as:
• basic numeracy skills such as counting forwards and backwards and place value
• addition and subtraction
• multiplication and division
• fractions
• ratios and proportional relationships
• rational numbers
• linear algebra
• linear functions
If a student has significant skill gaps, I work on mastery of concepts from previous grades. If the student has a good understanding of most of the math from earlier grades, I fill in any gaps while working on the current grade’s skills.
Throughout every tutoring session, I monitor understanding and adjust lessons and explanations as needed.
About Rita
I've been tutoring reading and math since 2007. I've been tutoring online since 2017 so distance learning is not new to me.
As a child my family read to me all the time. I grew up loving to read and I still do. As a reading tutor, I get to share with students the delight in reading a great story by helping them become more skillful readers.
Math did not come easily to me, so I understand the frustration students feel when they just don't understand what they are learning in class. As a math tutor, I can explain complex concepts so that they make sense. I love when I hear a student say, "Now I get it!"
At the beginning of third grade, my daughter's teacher told me that Margot was struggling with number sense, making learning new concepts difficult to impossible to learn. Her teacher recommended that Margot be tutored by Rita Santos, so we began weekly sessions immediately. After working with Rita for a few weeks, my daughter's confidence increased significantly, as did her math skills. Rita is good at figuring out the challenging spots for students and then giving them the tools they need to navigate those areas. Margot continues to work with Rita weekly, and we have seen tremendous growth in Margot's math abilities.
