All of
Cindy’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
Cindy’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
ADD/ADHD
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Child Psychology and a Master degree in Brain Based Learning and ECE. I have spent many years as a mainstreaming teacher working with children to prepare them for success in a regular classroom environment. This has included children with deficit disorders such as ADD/ADHD and PDD/NOS, Aspergers, mental and emotional challenges and physical limitations such as CP. I recognize that such children have limitations caused by the reactions of the disorder on their ability to pay attention and focus on the materials and classroom environment, some of these children have attention spans of only seconds.
I work with students and families to gradually increase their ability to tune in to their learning environment and make lifelong changes in their learning abilities. I would be pleased to email you information and assessment tools that can help to determine what your student needs before our first meeting.
American History
History of any kind has always been of interest and fascination for me. I spent a number of years as a volunteer with immigrants studying for their citizenship test and teaching them the American History portion was always my favorite part. We are able to see and appreciate the greatness and talents of this country when we take time to learn about its past.
Anthropology
I have a minor in both Anthropology and Archaeology, and I love to share the fascination I have with these subjects with others and show them ways to remember all the scientific and geological terms that make up much of the discipline.
ASVAB
I understand many young people are not passing the requisite testing for military service because of their lack of scholastic preparedness. Study skills, drilling information and learning means of retaining this information can help you to approach this test with confidence and skill.
Career Development
Success in Career Development requires outstanding communication skills to be able to meet the qualifications and expectations of the field you are interested in. There are a combination of skills such as good verbal and written skills, organizational behaviors and the ability to determine what the potential position and field requires.
College Counseling
Helping potential students prepare for their college career is an important responsibility. College Counseling as a career path is in demand now as many are trying to make decisions about the best way to ensure their work lives in the current economy and being able to assist them by knowing your responsibilities to them makes you a valuable tool.
Elementary (K-6th)
I am a K-6 certified teacher and Reading Specialist. I have a master's degree in Early Childhood Education and a bachelor's in Child Psychology. My strengths are my patience and ability to deal with diverse learners, including ADHD and the Emotionally Challenged. I teach to each student's individual learning style, working with the skills I have learned over the years and adapting to the unique abilities of the child or adult learner. I tutor in any subject encountered in elementary education including penmanship, social studies, reading and science.
English
I have decades of experience in English starting with my first college experience where I made extra money tutoring fellow students in English lit, composition, and research skills as well as grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and word usage. I am a certified teacher with 15 years of experience and a Reading Specialist. I bring all my skills and abilities to helping my students succeed also.
ESL/ESOL
I have taught ESL/ESOL students for more than twenty years, with twelve of those as certified teacher. I have had the good fortune to have all my siblings marry non-English speaking foreigners as well as my niece marrying a man from Somalia. As the only teacher in the family I have been the one responsible for teaching them to read, write and speak in English. Because of this I have learned many techniques to cut through all the unnecessary and help the ESL/ESOL student to quickly use what they are learning from me.
European History
I have a minor in European History and enjoy learning about and teaching others about the vastness and richness of history. Many do not see the point of looking back but the best way to see where we are going as a global society is to examine where we have been.
Grammar
The ability to properly construct a sentence has become of critical importance in our current society. The internet, texting and other forms of electronic communication have caused many to forget the use of proper grammar in their educational and business communications. I teach students how to construct a sentence, research paper and other forms of written communication that makes use of grammar and punctuation rules.
Phonics
I am a K-12 certified teacher with a specialty in teaching reading to both young (kindergarten) children, tutoring struggling students of all ages and volunteering as a adult literacy coach. My specialties are in the teaching of both phonetic reading and sight word or memory mastery. Hold degrees in Child Psychology, Master in Early Childhood Education and Brain Based Learning.
I believe all work together regardless of the child's needs to create an environment of excitement for learning, increased self-confidence, and enhanced skills in all areas.
Proofreading
I tutor in all areas of English including proofreading and grammar, punctuation, structure, vocabulary and idea development. During both on my college experiences I tutored and helped other students with writing and English classes. I use any approach to building the confidence of the learner and developing lifelong skills with the language.
Psychology
I have a Bachelor's degree in psychology and am currently working on a Master's in school counseling hoping to use my education and skills to help students and families navigate the difficulties of deficit disorders and education.
I can help you in any area of psychology including how to do research and write successful papers. I can assure you will achieve the best grades possible with my help.
Public Speaking
I have many years experience as a public speaker and debate team coach. As an educator I have spoken before groups of all ages and assisted students in preparing verbal and written commentaries and in developing the confidence and skill to stand before groups of many sizes and speak openly and easily. I also provide the encouragement of my personal abilities with the language to ensure a quality presentation.
Reading
My particular skill as a teacher is the teaching of reading to students of all ages as both a classroom teacher, Reading Specialist, tutor and volunteer literacy tutor. I have taught all ages to be successful and fluent readers using a variety of methods geared to the needs and learning styles of each student that I work with. My goal is to increase reading ability by at least one grade level within 3-6 months and to also increase fluency, comprehension, decoding and vocabulary skills.
SAT Reading
Of critical importance in SAT reading is the ability to ferret out the information they are requesting in order to answer the questions properly. The student will need a foundation in using their reading skills and knowledge in providing the correct answers to what is asked for. I teach the foundations and add study and comprehension skills to make the process easy to understand.
SAT Writing
Quality writing skills are a necessity for success in college and in the world of work. The SAT writing test evaluates a student's potential for success in college. Critical writing is one of the most important aspects of college achievement and the SAT writing test a measure of potential. I teach to the test utilizing sample questions and helping the student to understand what is asked and how to answer the questions for maximum effect. Students should take away from our sessions confidence and skills which can be immediately utilized to study and succeed.
Special Needs
I have a Bachelor's degree in Child Psychology and a Master's degree in Brain Based Learning in Children and ECE. I spent many years working as a Mainstreaming teacher to prepare students in elementary school for success in a regular classroom environment. During my time as such and as a tutor I have worked with deficit disorders such as ADD/ADHD and PDD/NOS, Aspergers, mental and emotional deficits, CP and several other disorders that prevented the student from absorbing material and tuning in to the learning environment.
My students and parents regular speak of my skills and dedication as making all the difference in their successes and I bring patience and encouragement to the teaching and learning environment.
I have many techniques to assist your student to develop techniques and lifelong skills in making use of their unique learning style.
I look forward to communicating with you to determine and assess your student's individual needs before our first session.
Spelling
Spelling is a subject close to my parents hearts and we were expected to excel in this area. I have developed many tools and talents in this area to make spelling a very easy task for me. I utilize a variety of methods including the students' own abilities and learning style to show them many ways to approach and succeed at this. This is a critical area for success as both a student and a worker.
Study Skills
I have had much practice in assisting young to old in becoming more proficient in how to study, retain and recall information. Study skills are a dying art in our schools but, many "tricks of the trade" live on and can readily be utilized to give you the student that added edge which spells greater success for you in every scholastic endeavor and later in your work life.
TOEFL
I use materials and test prep documents that are aligned to the test to assist the student in having the best success with the exam. I have tutored several other students over a number of years to pass this exam and have also had much experience in working with ESL/ESOL students from many countries.
Vocabulary
I will use proven techniques to help you develop skills in building and using your vocabulary in everyday conversations as well as education and career.
We will utilize prior learning and memory skills you already possess in building a repertoire of abilities with language.
World History
I minored in World History and Western Civilizations during two different college experiences. I enjoy and am fascinated by the many rich and varied experiences that have gone into making the world we live in today. The study of history is necessary for students to see their place in this world and to study the variety of people, conflicts, successes and failures of the march through time. Also, much of this material can be best assimilated by someone with good reading and retention skills, so any study must also be in tune with successful reading skills.