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Full Potential Tutoring in Reading, Writing, and SAT/ACT Prep.
Susan Y.

5.0 (491 ratings)

1,534 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $62
Contact Susan
Response time: 9 hours
Susan Y.'s Photo
Susan Y.'s Photo Susan Y.'s Photo

Full Potential Tutoring in Reading, Writing, and SAT/ACT Prep.
Full Potential Tutoring in Reading, Writing, and SAT/ACT Prep.
Susan Y.

5.0 (491 ratings)

1,534 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
5.0 (491 ratings)

1,534 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Susan

Bio

After 17 years of teaching junior high and high school English in the Los Angeles area,, I have opted for the last eight years to do one-on-one tutoring instead. I find it very rewarding. I am amazed at how quickly a student progresses once his or her deficiencies are discovered and remedied. Plus, the gains in self-confidence and love of learning are readily apparent. There is truth to the old saying, "A stitch in time saves nine." I hear so many heart-warming success stories from...

After 17 years of teaching junior high and high school English in the Los Angeles area,, I have opted for the last eight years to do one-on-one tutoring instead. I find it very rewarding. I am amazed at how quickly a student progresses once his or her deficiencies are discovered and remedied. Plus, the gains in self-confidence and love of learning are readily apparent. There is truth to the old saying, "A stitch in time saves nine." I hear so many heart-warming success stories from young adults who experienced tutoring at some crucial point in their education. Frequently, they say it changed their lives for the better!

I have a California Standard Teaching Credential in the subjects of English and Speech. I have developed my own effective program for SAT and ACT preparation. I also specialize in AP English at the high school level, and I am very familiar with the AP curriculum in the Long Beach, Los Alamitos, and Huntington Beach area. I am friendly, enthusiastic, and patient. Plus, I establish rapport with my students. I am certified in NLP--Neuro Linguistic Programming. This means that I have been trained in various communication techniques that are scientifically proven to strengthen rapport.

In addition to the above information, I can provide excellent letters of reference from some outstanding educators in our community.

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Education

California State University Long Beach
Speech and English
California State University Long Beach
EdD
Pepperdine University, Irvine branch
Graduate Coursework

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $62
  • Rate details: For multiple hour lessons, my rate is $52 an hour for online and in-person tutoring.
  • Lesson cancellation: 3 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 3/1/2015

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Approved Subjects

Corporate Training

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

At Bell High School in Bell, California, I taught ESL Level 3 and Level 4 for three years. I was a regular English teacher who was asked to teach ESL for two periods of the school day. The Los Angeles Unified School district required me to take classes and seminars to learn their ESL program. I still have many of the books, tapes, and materials that I used. Each day, students would listen to a narrative, learn new vocabulary words, recite sentences, participate in a discussion, do a "hands-on" group activity with art work, do grammar and verb conjugation exercises, and take practice tests. Students also learned to identify and write their own simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Students also learned to write essays, short stories, poems, and plays. They were encouraged to appreciate literature and learned about the elements of plot, theme, character development, and figures of speech. Special attention was paid to pointing out the denotation and connotation of words as used in our culture. One of my students, Francisco T. was accepted to UCLA, and I was quite proud because he had been one of my ESL students. I actually saw him progress from being a struggling speaker to being able to score well on the SAT and obtain a scholarship.
Grammar, Proofreading

Elementary Education

Reading,

Reading

The reading strategies that I utilize to improve reading are the following: Using Prior Knowledge, Forming Opinions, Previewing the Text and Making Predictions, Making Inferences, and Reviewing the Text. These methods are part of the Common Core curriculum and are very helpful. I also discuss the material and "bring it to life" by evoking enthusiasm for the topic. Encouragement is so important. I tell students that learning to read is like learning to play tennis. When one first plays tennis, all you do is run around picking up the balls! It is not any fun. However, once you get the hang of it and are able to return the ball to your opponent and engage in an exciting volley, you enjoy the game. Reading is the same way: Once you get to the level of reading fluently and engaging your sensory imagination, reading becomes like an exciting movie in your head. It's not reading that is boring; it is learning to read. Once you get the hang of it, reading becomes enjoyable. This is the challenge: Get your reading skills up to the level that reading becomes enjoyable.
Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary

English

English,

English

I have a very systematic strategy for tutoring English. Since I am a retired English teacher, I have a vast array of test preparation materials at my disposal. I am very familiar with the California Standards and I keep a checklist of the skills that your student has mastered or has yet to master. To foster a love of reading, it is important for your child to expand his or her vocabulary. I have a list of grade-level words that he/she needs to know, and I utilize fun and entertaining strategies to recall the meanings. I have sentence completion questions and critical reading questions. Once I learn his/her weaknesses, I target them. For instance, if your child has difficulty with syntax and grammar, I am an expert in sentence diagramming. I can help him/her to understand how sentences are built and expanded upon with clauses and phrases. In addition, he/she will quickly recognize the structure of compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Consequently, your child's reading speed will increase, and he/she will be able to pinpoint the main idea of a paragraph more readily. On the other hand, if the difficulty is with reading comprehension, then I can show him/her the steps to take to read for what is suggested or implied but not stated in a reading passage. One of the chief benefits of English tutoring is the self-confidence the student develops. I have seen my students do well, and sometimes it is because they know they can handle the material. However, my true goal is to help them take charge of their own learning, and to acquire an appreciation for self-expression and critical thinking skills that go hand in hand with reading and writing skills.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

At Bell High School in Bell, California, I taught ESL Level 3 and Level 4 for three years. I was a regular English teacher who was asked to teach ESL for two periods of the school day. The Los Angeles Unified School district required me to take classes and seminars to learn their ESL program. I still have many of the books, tapes, and materials that I used. Each day, students would listen to a narrative, learn new vocabulary words, recite sentences, participate in a discussion, do a "hands-on" group activity with art work, do grammar and verb conjugation exercises, and take practice tests. Students also learned to identify and write their own simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Students also learned to write essays, short stories, poems, and plays. They were encouraged to appreciate literature and learned about the elements of plot, theme, character development, and figures of speech. Special attention was paid to pointing out the denotation and connotation of words as used in our culture. One of my students, Francisco T. was accepted to UCLA, and I was quite proud because he had been one of my ESL students. I actually saw him progress from being a struggling speaker to being able to score well on the SAT and obtain a scholarship.
Reading,

Reading

The reading strategies that I utilize to improve reading are the following: Using Prior Knowledge, Forming Opinions, Previewing the Text and Making Predictions, Making Inferences, and Reviewing the Text. These methods are part of the Common Core curriculum and are very helpful. I also discuss the material and "bring it to life" by evoking enthusiasm for the topic. Encouragement is so important. I tell students that learning to read is like learning to play tennis. When one first plays tennis, all you do is run around picking up the balls! It is not any fun. However, once you get the hang of it and are able to return the ball to your opponent and engage in an exciting volley, you enjoy the game. Reading is the same way: Once you get to the level of reading fluently and engaging your sensory imagination, reading becomes like an exciting movie in your head. It's not reading that is boring; it is learning to read. Once you get the hang of it, reading becomes enjoyable. This is the challenge: Get your reading skills up to the level that reading becomes enjoyable.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

I have a California Secondary Teaching Credential, and I am a seasoned English teacher (17 years in California classrooms) who has worked with Advanced Placement kids as well as with At-Risk students. While at Bell High School in Bell, California, I also taught ESL for three years. I focus on helping students garner the main idea from complicated passages filled with compound-complex sentences. Using the dual approach of vocabulary enhancement with sentence diagramming (the best way to speed read), I help my students navigate the dry, wordy passages that often appear on the SAT. I have at my disposal a variety of materials that will help you quickly gain confidence in your reading comprehension--strategies that work!
SAT Writing,

SAT Writing

I have a very systematic strategy for preparing for the SAT. Since I am a retired English teacher, I have a vast array of test preparation materials at my disposal. I have numerous practice tests, which help me to quickly spot weaknesses and begin targeting them. In order to do well, it is important to have an advanced vocabulary. I utilize fun and entertaining strategies to help students remember the vocabulary words that appear more often on the SAT. I have sentence completion questions and critical reading questions. If a student has difficulty with syntax and grammar, I teach an innovative method of sentence diagramming, which helps one truly understand how sentences are built and expanded upon with clauses and phrases. If the difficulty is with reading comprehension, I help your student to pinpoint the main idea of a paragraph more readily and to read for what is suggested or implied by not stated in a reading passage. One of the chief benefits of SAT tutoring is the self confidence the student develops. I have seen my students do well, and sometimes it is because they know they can handle the material. They go into the test cool and collected, and their improved scores serve them well--not just to get into college, but to do well once they get there! That is my true goal.
ACT English, ACT Reading, Grammar, Literature, Proofreading, Spelling, Vocabulary, Writing

Homeschool

English,

English

I have a very systematic strategy for tutoring English. Since I am a retired English teacher, I have a vast array of test preparation materials at my disposal. I am very familiar with the California Standards and I keep a checklist of the skills that your student has mastered or has yet to master. To foster a love of reading, it is important for your child to expand his or her vocabulary. I have a list of grade-level words that he/she needs to know, and I utilize fun and entertaining strategies to recall the meanings. I have sentence completion questions and critical reading questions. Once I learn his/her weaknesses, I target them. For instance, if your child has difficulty with syntax and grammar, I am an expert in sentence diagramming. I can help him/her to understand how sentences are built and expanded upon with clauses and phrases. In addition, he/she will quickly recognize the structure of compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Consequently, your child's reading speed will increase, and he/she will be able to pinpoint the main idea of a paragraph more readily. On the other hand, if the difficulty is with reading comprehension, then I can show him/her the steps to take to read for what is suggested or implied but not stated in a reading passage. One of the chief benefits of English tutoring is the self-confidence the student develops. I have seen my students do well, and sometimes it is because they know they can handle the material. However, my true goal is to help them take charge of their own learning, and to acquire an appreciation for self-expression and critical thinking skills that go hand in hand with reading and writing skills.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

At Bell High School in Bell, California, I taught ESL Level 3 and Level 4 for three years. I was a regular English teacher who was asked to teach ESL for two periods of the school day. The Los Angeles Unified School district required me to take classes and seminars to learn their ESL program. I still have many of the books, tapes, and materials that I used. Each day, students would listen to a narrative, learn new vocabulary words, recite sentences, participate in a discussion, do a "hands-on" group activity with art work, do grammar and verb conjugation exercises, and take practice tests. Students also learned to identify and write their own simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Students also learned to write essays, short stories, poems, and plays. They were encouraged to appreciate literature and learned about the elements of plot, theme, character development, and figures of speech. Special attention was paid to pointing out the denotation and connotation of words as used in our culture. One of my students, Francisco T. was accepted to UCLA, and I was quite proud because he had been one of my ESL students. I actually saw him progress from being a struggling speaker to being able to score well on the SAT and obtain a scholarship.
Reading,

Reading

The reading strategies that I utilize to improve reading are the following: Using Prior Knowledge, Forming Opinions, Previewing the Text and Making Predictions, Making Inferences, and Reviewing the Text. These methods are part of the Common Core curriculum and are very helpful. I also discuss the material and "bring it to life" by evoking enthusiasm for the topic. Encouragement is so important. I tell students that learning to read is like learning to play tennis. When one first plays tennis, all you do is run around picking up the balls! It is not any fun. However, once you get the hang of it and are able to return the ball to your opponent and engage in an exciting volley, you enjoy the game. Reading is the same way: Once you get to the level of reading fluently and engaging your sensory imagination, reading becomes like an exciting movie in your head. It's not reading that is boring; it is learning to read. Once you get the hang of it, reading becomes enjoyable. This is the challenge: Get your reading skills up to the level that reading becomes enjoyable.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

I have a California Secondary Teaching Credential, and I am a seasoned English teacher (17 years in California classrooms) who has worked with Advanced Placement kids as well as with At-Risk students. While at Bell High School in Bell, California, I also taught ESL for three years. I focus on helping students garner the main idea from complicated passages filled with compound-complex sentences. Using the dual approach of vocabulary enhancement with sentence diagramming (the best way to speed read), I help my students navigate the dry, wordy passages that often appear on the SAT. I have at my disposal a variety of materials that will help you quickly gain confidence in your reading comprehension--strategies that work!
Spelling, Writing

Language

ESL/ESOL

ESL/ESOL

At Bell High School in Bell, California, I taught ESL Level 3 and Level 4 for three years. I was a regular English teacher who was asked to teach ESL for two periods of the school day. The Los Angeles Unified School district required me to take classes and seminars to learn their ESL program. I still have many of the books, tapes, and materials that I used. Each day, students would listen to a narrative, learn new vocabulary words, recite sentences, participate in a discussion, do a "hands-on" group activity with art work, do grammar and verb conjugation exercises, and take practice tests. Students also learned to identify and write their own simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Students also learned to write essays, short stories, poems, and plays. They were encouraged to appreciate literature and learned about the elements of plot, theme, character development, and figures of speech. Special attention was paid to pointing out the denotation and connotation of words as used in our culture. One of my students, Francisco T. was accepted to UCLA, and I was quite proud because he had been one of my ESL students. I actually saw him progress from being a struggling speaker to being able to score well on the SAT and obtain a scholarship.

Most Popular

English,

English

I have a very systematic strategy for tutoring English. Since I am a retired English teacher, I have a vast array of test preparation materials at my disposal. I am very familiar with the California Standards and I keep a checklist of the skills that your student has mastered or has yet to master. To foster a love of reading, it is important for your child to expand his or her vocabulary. I have a list of grade-level words that he/she needs to know, and I utilize fun and entertaining strategies to recall the meanings. I have sentence completion questions and critical reading questions. Once I learn his/her weaknesses, I target them. For instance, if your child has difficulty with syntax and grammar, I am an expert in sentence diagramming. I can help him/her to understand how sentences are built and expanded upon with clauses and phrases. In addition, he/she will quickly recognize the structure of compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Consequently, your child's reading speed will increase, and he/she will be able to pinpoint the main idea of a paragraph more readily. On the other hand, if the difficulty is with reading comprehension, then I can show him/her the steps to take to read for what is suggested or implied but not stated in a reading passage. One of the chief benefits of English tutoring is the self-confidence the student develops. I have seen my students do well, and sometimes it is because they know they can handle the material. However, my true goal is to help them take charge of their own learning, and to acquire an appreciation for self-expression and critical thinking skills that go hand in hand with reading and writing skills.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

At Bell High School in Bell, California, I taught ESL Level 3 and Level 4 for three years. I was a regular English teacher who was asked to teach ESL for two periods of the school day. The Los Angeles Unified School district required me to take classes and seminars to learn their ESL program. I still have many of the books, tapes, and materials that I used. Each day, students would listen to a narrative, learn new vocabulary words, recite sentences, participate in a discussion, do a "hands-on" group activity with art work, do grammar and verb conjugation exercises, and take practice tests. Students also learned to identify and write their own simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Students also learned to write essays, short stories, poems, and plays. They were encouraged to appreciate literature and learned about the elements of plot, theme, character development, and figures of speech. Special attention was paid to pointing out the denotation and connotation of words as used in our culture. One of my students, Francisco T. was accepted to UCLA, and I was quite proud because he had been one of my ESL students. I actually saw him progress from being a struggling speaker to being able to score well on the SAT and obtain a scholarship.
Reading,

Reading

The reading strategies that I utilize to improve reading are the following: Using Prior Knowledge, Forming Opinions, Previewing the Text and Making Predictions, Making Inferences, and Reviewing the Text. These methods are part of the Common Core curriculum and are very helpful. I also discuss the material and "bring it to life" by evoking enthusiasm for the topic. Encouragement is so important. I tell students that learning to read is like learning to play tennis. When one first plays tennis, all you do is run around picking up the balls! It is not any fun. However, once you get the hang of it and are able to return the ball to your opponent and engage in an exciting volley, you enjoy the game. Reading is the same way: Once you get to the level of reading fluently and engaging your sensory imagination, reading becomes like an exciting movie in your head. It's not reading that is boring; it is learning to read. Once you get the hang of it, reading becomes enjoyable. This is the challenge: Get your reading skills up to the level that reading becomes enjoyable.
Writing

Other

ESL/ESOL

ESL/ESOL

At Bell High School in Bell, California, I taught ESL Level 3 and Level 4 for three years. I was a regular English teacher who was asked to teach ESL for two periods of the school day. The Los Angeles Unified School district required me to take classes and seminars to learn their ESL program. I still have many of the books, tapes, and materials that I used. Each day, students would listen to a narrative, learn new vocabulary words, recite sentences, participate in a discussion, do a "hands-on" group activity with art work, do grammar and verb conjugation exercises, and take practice tests. Students also learned to identify and write their own simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Students also learned to write essays, short stories, poems, and plays. They were encouraged to appreciate literature and learned about the elements of plot, theme, character development, and figures of speech. Special attention was paid to pointing out the denotation and connotation of words as used in our culture. One of my students, Francisco T. was accepted to UCLA, and I was quite proud because he had been one of my ESL students. I actually saw him progress from being a struggling speaker to being able to score well on the SAT and obtain a scholarship.

Summer

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

At Bell High School in Bell, California, I taught ESL Level 3 and Level 4 for three years. I was a regular English teacher who was asked to teach ESL for two periods of the school day. The Los Angeles Unified School district required me to take classes and seminars to learn their ESL program. I still have many of the books, tapes, and materials that I used. Each day, students would listen to a narrative, learn new vocabulary words, recite sentences, participate in a discussion, do a "hands-on" group activity with art work, do grammar and verb conjugation exercises, and take practice tests. Students also learned to identify and write their own simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. Students also learned to write essays, short stories, poems, and plays. They were encouraged to appreciate literature and learned about the elements of plot, theme, character development, and figures of speech. Special attention was paid to pointing out the denotation and connotation of words as used in our culture. One of my students, Francisco T. was accepted to UCLA, and I was quite proud because he had been one of my ESL students. I actually saw him progress from being a struggling speaker to being able to score well on the SAT and obtain a scholarship.
Reading,

Reading

The reading strategies that I utilize to improve reading are the following: Using Prior Knowledge, Forming Opinions, Previewing the Text and Making Predictions, Making Inferences, and Reviewing the Text. These methods are part of the Common Core curriculum and are very helpful. I also discuss the material and "bring it to life" by evoking enthusiasm for the topic. Encouragement is so important. I tell students that learning to read is like learning to play tennis. When one first plays tennis, all you do is run around picking up the balls! It is not any fun. However, once you get the hang of it and are able to return the ball to your opponent and engage in an exciting volley, you enjoy the game. Reading is the same way: Once you get to the level of reading fluently and engaging your sensory imagination, reading becomes like an exciting movie in your head. It's not reading that is boring; it is learning to read. Once you get the hang of it, reading becomes enjoyable. This is the challenge: Get your reading skills up to the level that reading becomes enjoyable.
Writing

Test Preparation

SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

I have a California Secondary Teaching Credential, and I am a seasoned English teacher (17 years in California classrooms) who has worked with Advanced Placement kids as well as with At-Risk students. While at Bell High School in Bell, California, I also taught ESL for three years. I focus on helping students garner the main idea from complicated passages filled with compound-complex sentences. Using the dual approach of vocabulary enhancement with sentence diagramming (the best way to speed read), I help my students navigate the dry, wordy passages that often appear on the SAT. I have at my disposal a variety of materials that will help you quickly gain confidence in your reading comprehension--strategies that work!
SAT Writing,

SAT Writing

I have a very systematic strategy for preparing for the SAT. Since I am a retired English teacher, I have a vast array of test preparation materials at my disposal. I have numerous practice tests, which help me to quickly spot weaknesses and begin targeting them. In order to do well, it is important to have an advanced vocabulary. I utilize fun and entertaining strategies to help students remember the vocabulary words that appear more often on the SAT. I have sentence completion questions and critical reading questions. If a student has difficulty with syntax and grammar, I teach an innovative method of sentence diagramming, which helps one truly understand how sentences are built and expanded upon with clauses and phrases. If the difficulty is with reading comprehension, I help your student to pinpoint the main idea of a paragraph more readily and to read for what is suggested or implied by not stated in a reading passage. One of the chief benefits of SAT tutoring is the self confidence the student develops. I have seen my students do well, and sometimes it is because they know they can handle the material. They go into the test cool and collected, and their improved scores serve them well--not just to get into college, but to do well once they get there! That is my true goal.
ACT English, ACT Reading, ASVAB

Examples of Expertise

Susan has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 1 question submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (491 ratings)
5 star
(481)
4 star
(9)
3 star
(1)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(0)

Reviews

Knowledgable and Easy to work with

Susan was amazing. She worked with my daughter on her essay skills. She took her time and explained everything with detail. My daughter felt confident and comfortable with her writing after just a few hours working with Susan. I highly recommend her and will for sure use her again.

Avishag, 1 lesson with Susan

Knowledgeable and insightful tutor

Susan is great. She is helpful, patient, and thorough. I appreciate Susan's willingness to discuss, review, and re-review work. We always have in-depth conversations that are thought provoking. I am thankful for her help.

Cindy, 2 lessons with Susan

Knowledgeable, Supportive, and Kind.

We are super excited to work with Susan. She is experienced with special needs and enthusiastic and fun especially with English. The encouragement she provides has my son engaged and motivated to do his best!!!

Griffin, 125 lessons with Susan

Very knowledgeable and available all the time

What I like about Susan, she is very passionate and patient understanding my son’s needs. She is also very professional always on time and willing to help. I definitely will recommend her.

Josie, 21 lessons with Susan

Excellent Tutor

Susan is a great tutor. Very patient with my son and always comes to the house prepared and with a lot of energy. And she knows her stuff. It's been a pleasure having her work with my kids.

Jodi, 62 lessons with Susan

Amazing ACT tutoring

Susan is amazing. She is going over sentence structure and leaving reference books and emailing great resources. She is always prompt and friendly.

Cyndi, 4 lessons with Susan

Excellent English SAT prep tutor

Susan worked with my son for about 10 weeks in preparation for his SAT retest - he had previously done poorly in the reading and writing sections. Definitely worth it - his reading and writing scores went up by a total of 110 points and he is now in the 43% of high school seniors considered "college-ready" on the basis of his SAT score. Susan is top-rate, great with the kids and well-prepared with SAT prep materials.

Steven, 23 lessons with Susan

Susan seemed to be a very pleasant and enthusiastic tutor!!!

Susan is a very pleasant, patient and dedicated tutor. My son enjoyed her very much and got a lot out of her style of teaching. I would definitely highly recommend her to anyone who is considering a tutor for their child.

Carolina, 10 lessons with Susan
Hourly Rate: $62
Response time: 9 hours
Contact Susan