All of
Claudette’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
Claudette’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
ACT English
I focus on grammar, syntax, vocabulary, spelling, sentence structure, exposition and description.
There are some students who have a good grasp of writing but are weak in punctuation so I focus on the length of sentences, the placement of paragraphs, the use of apostrophes, parentheses and capitalization. I also look out for the misuse of homophones.
I currently volunteer as a writing coach with Posse Atlanta in an effort to assist students to develop their writing skills to make the transition from High School to College.
Business
Principles of Business or Commerce
English
I focus on reading and writing fluency which are the building blocks of good English. I focus on spelling,vocabulary,punctuation,grammar,sentence structure, choice of words, the use of verbs, homophones, antonyms, synonyms and figures of speech.
Comprehension is also very important and we will be working through several comprehension, exposition and description and vocabulary building exercises
There is no aspect of the English Language that I will not cover.
I will not assume that native English speakers have a command of the language.
ESL/ESOL
I focus on language proficiency through vocabulary building and the use/conjugation of verbs. I use the home language to make the students comfortable thus facilitating instruction and learning. I conduct frequent review and repetition in each step of language and content learning. I encourage reading, writing, listening and speaking in the language being learned.
Grammar
I focus on grammar and language usage, agreement of subject and verb, word choice, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, pronouns, parts of speech, direct and indirect speech and all the fundamentals of good speech and writing.
The basic rules of the grammar are constantly reviewed and re-inforced.
Phonics
I focus on phonological awareness and letter sounds. The sound of each letter is stressed repeatedly. I use word games, spelling and alphabetizing. Students are asked to listen to the letter sounds and write the word. After words are recognized, some letters are substituted for others and the exercise is repeated. Besides letter sound identification, rhyming is also practiced. I am very patient and I use various techniques to develop the students interest and awareness.
Proofreading
I am highly skilled in the fundamentals of good writing. I check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, exposition and description and even writing style. I have done proofreading for graduate students from Nova Southeastern, Columbia and Harvard Universities. I have also done editing and proofreading for professional business journals.
Public Speaking
I am skilled in public speaking and presentation, with or without audiovisual aids. I love to emphasize diction, enunciation, speaking clearly and distinctly, making eye contact and pausing for effect. Public speaking should not suggest that the presenter is reading. I emphasize, eye contact, posture and body language. I coach on the duration of the presentation and the modulation and tone of one's speaking voice. I focus on the number of pauses and ahs in the presentation and I make students aware of these. I also focus on the content and relevance of the presentation and the need to leave time at the end for questions and answers. I am an in house trainer at the firm where I work and I participate in new hire orientation and administrative assistant training. I was also a trainer at Cable and Wireless where I conducted courses in Time Management, Records management, and Public Speaking.
I also teach the use of presentation aids such as Power point.
Reading
I am skilled at developing reading, spelling and comprehension skills through various techniques such as Flash cards, tutor read back and tutor expression and intonation; and fun exercises are used to help students develop an interest and to conquer any fears they might have. I am willing to start with phonics if necessary as I am aware that phonological awareness is one of the main building blocks to reading.
My aim is to develop reading fluency and increase speed, smoothness and reading comprehension. I do repeated practice and monitor oral reading with assigned passages and texts. I check for accuracy, reading rate and expressions during reading. I use comprehension exercises to test students' ability to read, comprehend and answer questions from the comprehension passages fluently and articulately. I also encourage vocabulary building and the use of similes and alternative expressions to express the same thought.
SAT Reading
I love to read and I love to teach. In High School I was the President of the Reading Club. We had to voraciously read books and the editorial pages of the local newspapers and come to class as well as Reading club meetings and be prepared to discuss what we read and to share the meaning of words which were previously unfamiliar to us. English was also one of my College courses.
I am skilled in developing a student's ability to read and understand written English at the College level. I aim at developing a solid vocabulary which comes from reading good books and well written articles. Students will be given reading assignments. If a student does not have a good vocabulary and does not display fluency, it is my goal to fix that through reading assignments and comprehension exercises. Students will also be asked to read passages and research the meaning of words not understood. Even general conversations held with students will be used to measure their levels of fluency and articulateness with the language. I will focus on vocabulary, reading fluency, speed, smoothness and comprehension.
SAT Writing
I love the written word and I find it very alarming that in this era of text and instant messaging, writing is rapidly becoming a lost art. I would love to help students with punctuation, spelling, sentence and paragraph structure,and grammar.This is what I consider basic.
My next step would be to help students to develop their writing style and fluency through exposition and description, narration, sentence structure and rythm.I want to help students create a story line and take this to a logical conclusion. Reading and vocabulary building are very essential to being a good writer.
Spanish
I am skilled at developing proficiency in the language. I speak Castillian Spanish and that is the diction and pronunciation which I teach my students. I build vocabulary and also focus on conjugation of verbs, grammar idioms, phrases and special words and conversation. I focus on the different verb tenses including the conditional tense, the subjunctive and the imperative moods. I teach Spanish to all levels including college level.
I engage in fun exercises with younger students. In order to get them interested and eager to learn, I name parts of the body, items in the home such as table, chair, bed, fan, light, grocery items in the kitchen, the car, the trees, the cat, the dog. Generally speaking, I build vocabulary from everyday things with which they can easily identify.
My aim is to make my students fluent and articulate in the language.
Study Skills
Studying is an art. So many persons need to develop study skills. When I work with students and I advise them on study skills; the following narrative describes what I tell them:
Quiet time must be set aside for studying. Consider your most productive time of day and set aside that time for studying There should be no distractions from friends, family members or social networks. If you are working on the Computer, close all (other) windows except for Google, just in case you need to clarify a concept or look up the meaning of a new word.
It is necessary to develop a study outline and a time frame within which to cover each topic. This will be like your road map so you know exactly where you are headed. Organize your notes and assignments both in a notebook and on the computer. After each class review and organize notes. It is usually helpful to highlight certain points and go back later for reinforcement. Mark what you do not understand and review these over and over. It is important to review notes and assignments and evaluate your progress. I tell my students that a first reading is not enough, it takes more than one reading and then a review of selected sections for reinforcement. The use of note cards (5X3) or electronic notes are very helpful. Mnemonics are also excellent study aids. Background music helps some persons to concentrate better.
If there are too many distractions at home, please go to a Library.
I encourage a variety of approaches to studying such as reading, writing practice, doing test questions and participating in group discussions.
If you are part of a study group and you are not gaining any benefits from the group study, please do not bow to peer pressure but politely withdraw from the group and study on your own. I urge students to take responsibility for themselves and recognize that in order to succeed, they need to make decisions about their priorities, their time and their resources.
On the night prior to an exam, do not study, but instead relax and go to bed early so you rise refreshed and relaxed for the test.
TOEFL
I focus on developing proficiency through vocabulary building, the conjugation of verbs, the use of different parts of speech and the use of pronouns. Grammar, syntax and sentence structure are also focal points. I am very skilled at non native speakers of English for the TOEFL test and I conduct several practice exercises with my students. I also conduct frequent reviews and repetition in each stage of language and content learning.
Vocabulary
I love to build vocabulary. I work with students to make them both fluent and articulate. I focus on reading, identifyig unfamiiar words, checking the meaning of those words and studying them. I focus on homophones, homonyms, antonyms and synonyms.I review words we take for granted that have beeen derived from other languages such as Latin.
I cannot overemphasize reading and the ownership of a Thesaurus that is the only way we can build a solid vacabulary.
Writing
I love to see English well spoken and written. I focus on spelling, vocabulary building, grammar, syntax, punctuation and writing fluency. I have a keen eye for punctuation and am always looking out for entire paragraphs being written as one sentence. I also see homophones being used incorrectly and I explain the differences between these similar sounding words. With this era of text messaging, instant messaging and abbreviating, writing is becoming a lost art. I emphasize expostion and description, writing fluency, developing a theme and working through to the conclusion.