All of
Clay’s current tutoring subjects are listed at the left. You
can read more about
Clay’s qualifications in specific subjects below.
ADD/ADHD
Children suffering from ADD/ADHD suffer from the inability to concentrate, complete work, and often lack social skills. Although medicine may be the answer for some children, there are other techniques and alternatives that can be used in helping your child learn. I have experience working with this type of child as well as providing parents and students with information and resources in finding the right tools and techniques to advance their learning.
Elementary (K-6th)
I am a second grade teacher certified in EC-4. I have been teaching at the elementary level for the past seven years. Besides working with younger children, I am also very good at working with older elementary students, teaching them new reading skills as well as tackling and being able to understand the more difficult math concepts, such as problem solving (word problems), fractions, division, percent, etc.
ESL/ESOL
I completed and passed my ESL Certification from the State of Texas when I started teaching seven years ago. In helping the ESL learner, I use strategies such as mnemonics, teaching spelling and grammar rules, picture and vocabulary cards, practice speaking and having conversations with different scenarios in teaching students English grammar rules, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension helping the ESL learner learn successfully. I have also taught my two sons (international adoption) how to speak, read, and write in English successfully. I am known as an excellent teacher when it comes to working with English as second language learner as many strategies work well for both the English and non-English speaker.
Phonics
As I have taught first and second grade for six years now, I am well versed in teaching both phonics rules and sounds. This establishes the foundation which helps children to read, write, and comprehend. My phonics program consists of isolating and learning individual sounds, placing the individual sound within several words, and having the child figure out and remember the word(s). I use word families, daily blending (using challenging words), spelling tests, word work, memorizing spelling and phonics rules, using each of these components to make your child a confident and successful reader. I also will ask your child numerous questions to make sure they understand the phonics and spelling rules and how to apply them correctly leaving no ambiguity. I then follow up with repeated practice and exposure.
Reading
If there is one skill that students must be able to accomplish successfully, it would have to be reading fluently. Being able to read is the cornerstone and foundation of educational achievement. I have developed a successful program where your child will develop these skills as well as feel confident when they read and encounter unknown words and texts. My program consists of the basics needed to be successful reader: phonics, sight words, blending, fluency, comprehension, and writing. If needed, I can also give your child weekly spelling tests of the sounds with which they are currently struggling. I teach these skills to your child where they will not be bored with the curriculum but be encouraged to use their new skills and feel as though they never lost them. This new discovery will bring a smile!
TAKS
As an elementary educator and tutor, I have tutored many hours with the TAKS and STAAR exam. I can teach your child how to really read and find what the question is asking, how to eliminate potential answers and ultimately solve the problem correctly. With reading comprehension, I can teach your child the different literary structures and how the test asks these questions.