All of
Erin’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
Erin’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
ADD/ADHD
I have taught many students as a teacher who had one or the other. I also have clients that have ADHD. I took college and graduate college on this. I use strategies designed to help students with either ADD or ADHD.
Aspergers
As a teacher and tutor, I have taught students with Aspergers. They are very intelligent. I had one that excelled in math and was reading above grade level. Some students with this disorder tend to be quiet and like working in small groups rather than large groups.
Autism
I have taught students with different degrees of autism. I also tutor a couple of students with some degree of autism. Some students with autism that I have worked with, need a lot of practice understanding important concepts in reading and math. Some can be extremely intelligent in a certain area, such as, math. You need to give them positive support and acknowledge their achievements.I have used manipulatives to help students with autism. I also have given their parents names of wonderful websites to help them with reading.
College Counseling
I have taken an intro to counseling near the end of my schooling. I am very easy to talk with and have had friends come to me for advice. I also can offer advice for those who are having a difficult time adjusting to their hectic schedule in college. I have a knowledge of many ways to study in college.
Dyslexia
I have learned about this disorder in courses I have taken. I have known a few people with dyslexia. It is hard for them to read and understand what they read. Some letters of a word may look different to them. They have to go back many times to get through a passage of reading. There can be ways to help students with this disorder. Some students are read passages aloud during testing accommodations. This helps them and keeps them from getting frustrated.
Elementary (K-6th)
I am certified in Elementary and Early Childhood. I am certified to teach early childhood to middle school. I have taught preschool, kindergarten, second and third grade. I got my master's degree in reading and literacy k-6.
Elementary Science
Science is very interesting to children. I have many resources in the area of science. I have helped elementary and middle school students prepare for tests in the area of science. Some of the topics have been about natural disasters,magnets,earth science,matter,life cycles,and human body. I have provided study guides for students in the area of science. Science books are usually written at least a grade level above the grade the student is currently in. This makes it difficult to comprehend as well as to understanding the vocabulary in the text.
English
I have followed novels with students. Most of them been novels they had to read at school, such as, classics like Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible, To Kill a Mockingbird and books by Gary Paulsen. I like to do an oral reading on a regular basis. I indicate whether they deleted a word, substituted another word, or repeated a word. I pull important vocabulary from the text with the student. I also bring questions from the text. I love to read a variety of genres. Some books I would have never picked up, if it wasn't that a student was reading it and needed help. I read some classics in high school. I loved English Literature. I try to see what types of books they like to read and what their interests may be.I also have introduced them to new authors or genres, which they end up liking. Some have wanted to continue reading books by that author.
ESL/ESOL
I have taught at schools that have a huge ESOL/ESL population. They come from other
countries, where they speak Spanish, Portuguese, French, Farsi, or Hebrew. I have taken courses from Walden in my master's program for teaching ELL students. Most of my teaching career so far, I have had several ELL students in my class. I have knowledge how to help these students understand material.
Grammar
I believe it is very important to be able to speak and write effectively in English. I have worked with students especially with improving their writing. I also have showed them strategies for getting their ideas on paper. I also have showed them how to spell check their work before presenting a paper to their teacher. I have a large number of practice for grammar and English in my files.
GRE
I wanted to pursue my master's degree in reading and literacy, so I got my master's degree online. I am constantly reading current articles on education practices. I have prepared many college and working professionals for exams, such as GRE's, Praxis 1 and 2. I also have helped ELL students prepare for the English Proficiency Test.
ISEE
I have worked with middle school in English, study skills, grammar, reading, writing, and language usage. I have prepped a few students already for the ISEE this past school year. I am familiar about what they need to know for this test. I have gotten resources to help my students that had to prepare for this exam.
Literature
I have always enjoyed reading a variety of book genres. I have read a variety of different book genres when a student needs help with understanding a novel. I read a variety of books as a child, too. I have a large collection of novels from my classroom library. I go to the library once or twice a week to get books appropriate for the students I teach or tutor. Some of the books I have helped students understand and pull vocabulary from have been books by Gary Paulsen, classics like, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Crucible, Of Mice and Men, realistic fiction (Judy Blume books), history, and biographies. Sometimes, it helps students to write notes or orally tell what the chapter he or she is reading is about. I have always loved introducing my students to a variety of books and watching them get into books. Research shows that students who have read at least 5 books during the summer improve their skills in writing and reading.
Phonics
I have taught phonics to kindergarten students for several years. I also have worked with older students who need help in reading words. Some of them were not aware of how to pronounce words. Like they need to know ph makes the f sound. Knowing your sounds can help you spell words. Not all words are spelled phonetically. Some have exceptions. Students need to hear a sound and try to tell a word that begins with that word. Or ask them what ending sound do you hear in read. You hear the d sound. Some letters can sometimes make the same sound. This is something that students need to learn. Like c or k. What letter does can begin with? c.
Some students may have difficulty saying some letter sounds when they are younger. They can overcome this through extensive practice and time.I have made phonics games for my students to play to help them with developing phoneme awareness.
Praxis
I took the Praxis tests to become an elementary teacher. There were three tests and then I had to take Elementary education test along with it. I have bought a Praxis study book to help me get a better idea what I will be tested on. I passed all areas.
Psychology
Psychology was always one of my favorite subjects in high school and college. Being an education major, I took several psychology classes related to education. Some of them were: General Psychology, Social Psychology, Child Psychology, Adolescence and Adulthood, and Educational Psychology. In the past, I have helped college students prepare for their final and write a paper on a famous psychologist.
Special Needs
I have taken a few courses on special education. This past Spring I took a graduate course on working with students with special needs. I have learned about a variety of disabilities and the characteristics of them. I have had students who have been diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, Asperger's Syndrome, Speech impaired,and hearing impaired. I also have had experience with nonverbal students.
Spelling
When I was a student, I looked for patterns in my spelling words and practiced writing them. I even did well when I took French and was able to recall the correct spelling. I have created spelling activities for primary students to help them prepare for their weekly spelling tests at school. I also recommend a book that I got through my Master's degree in reading and literacy.It is called Phonics Systemic Squential Phonics We Use. It is great for teachers to do activities with their students using letter tiles and letter trays to create words.
Study Skills
As a student, I have used many learning strategies to help me be successful on tests. I also am familiar with using mnemonic devices in order to remember important information. Students can learn important acroymns by remembering what each letter means. There are many study skills students can use. I have taken a course this past Spring on learning strategies to help students at Walden University for my Master's degree in reading and literacy k-6. SQ3R is helpful when you are reviewing a chapter in a social studies book. I have used creative ways in remembering a list of words. I have created a silly sentence or one that is easy to remember starting with the first letter of the list of words. Making outlines can help some students on studying for certain subjects.
TOEFL
I have taught many ELL students in schools as a teacher. I also have tutored many students both children and adults in English, grammar, vocabulary, writing, and test prep.I have met with some adults who needed to prepare for an English proficiency test. Some need to take it to further their career. I bring useful resources with me when I meet my clients.
Vocabulary
Having a well-established vocabulary is very important in communicating by speaking and writing. I like to incorporate vocabulary with students from their novels they are reading or select vocabulary words for their grade level. They are often tested on their vocabulary from state assessments.Studies show that students that read regularly, develop their vocabulary skills. I have my students look up vocabulary words and define them. Some of them keep them on index cards or an area of their binder, which has the vocabulary words he or she looked up. I also indicate what part of speech the word is and the page number I found it. I also use a variety of good websites for English, vocabulary,writing,and grammar. I have English workbooks I use with students. Vocabulary development is essential for students in communicating with professionally and writing effectively.