Melissa R.
Cary, IL
Dyslexia, Public Speaking, Writing, and Career Prep Tutor
Purdue University
CommunicationGrand Canyon University - online
MEdAbout Melissa
My name is Melissa and I specialize in academic tutoring for children (especially those with ADHD, Dyslexia, and other learning issues) and career preparation for adults such as public speaking, resume writing, interviewing skills, and job search techniques. I love watching those "thinking light bulbs" go off in children and adults when they learn
Policies
Cancellation
5 hours notice requiredTutor reserves the right to charge the full fee for lessons cancelled inside of five hours or for "no shows." Travel fees may be additional especially for in-school tutoring.
Travel Radius
Travels within 12 miles of Cary, IL 60013Melissa offers online lessons
Melissa is approved to conduct lessons through Wyzant Online. Wyzant Online allows students and tutors to work remotely via video, audio, and collaborative whiteboard tools. For more information about how online tutoring works, check out Wyzant Online.
If you’re interested in online lessons, message Melissa to get started.
"Excellent Communication and ESL tutor"
- Grace, Barrington, IL on 1/11/16I originally contacted Melissa for help on presentation and communication skills, however, I gained more than good technical help, she helped me build my confidence and overcome public speaking anxiety. As a non- native English speaker, Melissa also helped me understand the idiosyncrasies and the different political viewpoints of American society. These skills enhanced my comfort level when engaging with other colleagues in the market place. She is truly a friend and a mentor, always there to support me emotionally and help me keep my perspective about work and life in balance.
"Speech & Communication Expert"
- Hunter, Grimes, IA on 6/25/15Melissa did a great job providing my son speech and communication tools to build his confidence. She was well prepared for each session and her online teaching was excellent.
Thank you for your kind words. I truly enjoy helping young people build confidence and a better professional presence that will enhance their future!
"Great tutor!!"
- Tania, Algonquin, IL on 3/7/15Melissa is really great!! My son looks forward to going for his sessions. She is very accommodating and really patient. My son loves doing the assignments given by her. They are not the typical homework assignments.
My son is already doing much better in school as per his teacher. Thank you so much for helping my son :)
Thank you so much for your kind and positive comments. Armaan and I have a lot of fun working together!
"Easy to work with"
- Lisa, Crystal Lake, IL on 1/23/15Melissa was easy to work with, schedule with and quick to respond to emails and text messages. She was very patient, helpful and reliable. Thank you, Melissa, for your help.
Thank you for your kind words. It's a pleasure to work with your son!
"Melissa is a wonderful tutor - she helped me pass the TAP test!"
- Nicole, Lake Zurich, IL on 1/10/14I'm an adult student who went back to college to pursue a teaching degree. Because I'd been out of school for a long time, I found it difficult to prepare for the TAP test. I met with Melissa sometimes two times a week and she accommodated my difficult schedule. She is very knowledgeable about test taking, language arts and reading; she gave me many useful strategies to use during my test. Melissa walked through the study guides with me and she was very helpful in explaining concepts I was having trouble with. Melissa was very easy to get along with and she has a gift for teaching and tutoring. If I ever need a tutor again, I will be calling Melissa! Thank you Melissa!
"Excellent!"
- Sandro, Rockford, IL on 12/11/13I had just two hours with Melissa, it was the best class that I got so far. Thanks Melissa.
"Great tutor, very creative, great with ADHD kids, patient and organized!"
- Cherie, Wauconda, IL on 6/3/13Melissa continues to do a great job with my son. He loves going to her. As a parent I appreciate her style and way of using activities that keep Lucas busy as he learns. She is very organized and leverages an online tool for Lucas to keep learning on the days he does not meet with her.
"Great tutor"
- Agnieszka, Cary, IL on 12/10/12My son is excited to go and I feel like we are already seeing some progress. Plus I love the detailed reports.
"Great tutor!"
- Cynthia, Lake Zurich, IL on 7/4/12Melissa was very patient with me, and I really enjoyed working with her. I would highly recommend her as a tutor. She helped me a lot with organization and kept me focused.
"Melissa is great" - my son, age 9"
- Jim, Addison, IL on 6/23/12Melissa spends two hours twice a week with our third grader. He had trouble in his classroom and so the decision was made to take him out of school for the last quarter. Thank goodness we found Melissa who has experience home schooling and is such an engaging person. Her dual focus is to see he finishes the third grade curriculum and to prepare him to re-enter a normal classroom in the fall. Learning is fun again.
Approved subjects are in bold.
Approved subjects
In most cases, tutors gain approval in a subject by passing a proficiency exam. For some subject areas, like music and art, tutors submit written requests to demonstrate their proficiency to potential students. If a tutor is interested but not yet approved in a subject, the subject will appear in non-bold font. Tutors need to be approved in a subject prior to beginning lessons.
ACT English
Sometimes, the language arts portions of the ACT and SAT can seem daunting upon first glance. However, with some practice at identifying correct grammar and learning the use of additional reading and writing strategies these tests don't have to seem so scary. I can help your student with both the technicalities and a comfort level in this subject so they are ready to tackle the subject matter on the tests.
ADHD
I have had the honor of teaching several students with ADHD in private tutoring sessions. The reason I say "honor" is because these children are generally quite bright and very teachable IF they are taught in a way that is relevant and not boring to them. Generally, a child or adult with ADHD will learn more and learn quicker in a one-on-one setting. In addition to my experience with tutoring clients, my own son has ADHD and I successfully home schooled him for five years. Finally, being a parent of an ADHD child gives me great compassion and understanding for the enormous struggles parents face in navigating life with their ADHD child and in dealing with school personnel who may or may not be flexible and adaptive with your child.
Bible Studies
I have been a Christian for 32 years and a student of the Bible. I also led a single's ministry for a very large church for several years and have been teaching expository Bible studies to women for over 15 years.
Career Development
I love helping older students and adults get organized and learn how to present the right image before, during, and after an interview to get the job they desire. I have a bachelor's degree from Purdue University in Public and Organizational Communication and was a recruiter for approximately six years for two different private companies.
As a recruiter I coached candidates on how to create engaging resumes, get organized for a job search, and interview for success. I have also taught job search techniques as a ministry through my church.
Dyslexia
I am a certified Barton Reading and Spelling Tutor. This system is one of the most highly recommended reading and spelling systems for individuals with Dyslexia and/or other spelling and reading challenges. I have been tutoring using this method with great success for over six years. I can take the mystery out of why most words are spelled the way they are so your student doesn't have to learn to spell by memorizing endless word lists.
Additionally, I am a member of the International Dyslexia Association, Everyone Reading Illinois (the Illinois Dyslexia Branch) and I have received 17 continuing education professional credit hours in recognizing dyslexia signs and symptoms and remediation strategies. Because I've been personally trained by Susan Barton, I am familiar with what reading programs work and don't work with dyslexic children. My own child has dyslexia making me familiar with the joys and struggles these students and their parents have with learning. Through intensive training my child is now one of the highest level readers and writers in his class!
Elementary (K-6th)
I successfully taught elementary and junior high school students in home school cooperatives and through my own home school. I am a registered and active Illinois K-9 certified teacher, a certified K-12 Illinois Substitute teacher and have a Master of Education degree.
Elementary Math
Math doesn't have to be boring! By using lots of hands-on techniques and analogies, I can help your child understand concepts they are struggling with or assist in explaining homework in fresh ways. I focus on K-5 math only.
Elementary Science
Science is a subject that MUST be taught with creativity! Why leave such an exciting subject only on the pages of a textbook? I believe more children would be fascinated with science and how it relates to their whole world if teachers relied less on the textbooks and more on real life application and hands-on learning. This is what I try to do to bring this subject alive to your student.
ESL/ESOL
I have completed and received an "A" in beginning and advanced ESL instruction from Grand Canyon University. Additionally, I have a minor in Spanish from Purdue University and have lived in Spain and Japan as a participant in cultural exchange programs. I assist ESL adults and children with phonemic understanding of the English language through the Barton Reading and Spelling System. I also help improve their English fluency through conversational English practice.
General Computer
I formally worked for two different computer training companies. Therefore, I am able to blend my teaching skills of taking difficult concepts and making them understandable with the knowledge I obtained about general computer file management and MS office.
Phonics
Learning to read smoothly and effectively is one of the most important skills needed in today's world. Knowing how to break down the individual sounds in each word is crucial to reading progress. Simply memorizing hundreds of words by their "look" will eventually result in poor reading scores and frustration for an individual. I believe in teaching phonics to help students understand reading and spelling rules. I especially believe the most effective way to teach students to read or improve their reading is through Orton-Gillingham methods. I utilize the Susan Barton reading and spelling system for my students. This system is known to be one of the best Orton-Gillingham methods in use today.
Proofreading
I have several years experience proofreading many different types of documents from journalistic articles to college dissertations. Many of my clients have used my services to clean up their resumes or help them write better papers both grammatically and stylistically. In addition to my work with clients, I received a 4.0 GPA in my Masters of Education program which is nearly all research and essay paper writing.
Public Speaking
I have a B.A. in public and organizational communication from Purdue University. I also competed quite successfully on my high school speech team in both dramatic and informational speaking. I was the commencement speaker at my high school graduation (based on tryouts) and delivered the address at Notre Dame University. Moreover, I was in sales and recruiting for many years requiring me to interact with customers and potential customers in person or via phone on a daily basis. Additionally, I won the National Rising Star award in college for an organization called Women in Communications (WICI). Finally, I have been the leader of many singles and church groups which required me to participate in ongoing public speaking.
Reading
No matter whether your child is struggling with phonics, fluency or comprehension; I have training in how to help him/her at each level. In addition to traditional reading training and help with language arts homework, I offer certified Barton Training (an Orton-Gillingham research-based approach) for struggling readers. I also use multi-sensory tools and implement creative ways to make the learning fun!
Special Needs
I have two children who have working IEPs at their school district. One child has ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Speech Delays, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. I have also home schooled this child. I understand that humor, varied and creative tasks, "chunking" work, reward goals and total physical response in lessons are what keeps these students engaged in learning. I also understand the frustration of parents in trying to understand and help their children as I deal with my own children's "good/bad" learning days myself. I currently am pursuing a K-8 master's degree which includes classes on special needs teaching. Additionally, I substitute teach for both elementary and high school districts in their special needs classrooms.
Speech
I have a B.A. in public and organizational communication from Purdue University. I also competed quite successfully on my high school speech team in both dramatic and informational speaking. I was the commencement speaker at my high school graduation (based on try outs) and delivered the address at Notre Dame University. Moreover, I was in sales and recruiting for many years requiring me to interact with customers and potential customers in person or via phone on a daily basis.
Additionally, I won the National Rising Star award in college for an organization called Women in Communications (WICI). Finally, I have been the leader of many singles and church groups which required me to participate in ongoing public speaking.
Spelling
I am a certified Barton Reading and Spelling Tutor. This system is one of the most highly recommended reading and spelling systems for individuals with Dyslexia and/or other spelling and reading challenges. I have been tutoring using this method with great success for over five years. I can take the mystery out of why most words are spelled the way they are so your student doesn't have to learn to spell by memorizing endless word lists.
Vocabulary
I am a certified Barton Reading and Spelling Tutor. This system is one of the most highly recommended reading and spelling systems for individuals with Dyslexia and/or other spelling and reading challenges. I have been tutoring using this method with great success for over five years. I can take the mystery out of why most words are spelled the way they are so your student doesn't have to learn to spell by memorizing endless word lists. Consequently, your student will learn the seven different types of syllables, taking the guess work out of pronouncing big words. Throughout this system and read aloud time for your student he or she will develop a much higher vocabulary that will enhance comprehension of academic material, raise vocabulary test scores, and improve reading confidence.
Writing
Writing and journalism were two of my strongest subjects in high school and college. In fact, I was the feature editor for my school newspaper! As a graduate student I was required to write at least one APA format research paper per week and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. After assessing your student's writing needs, I customize an individual plan to help him or her achieve personal writing goals and write with better clarity and impact.
Other Cary, IL Tutors
Melissa R.
Cary, IL
Dyslexia, Public Speaking, Writing, and Career Prep Tutor
Social Studies
As a private tutor and a substitute teacher, I have opportunities to incorporate history, geography, and other social sciences into my teaching curriculum and methodologies. When I was student teaching, I developed my own unit study on a United States region which was so well received that additional teachers asked to have me teach the unit and share my lesson plans.