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Reading Specialist
Teresa G.

5.0 (163 ratings)

339 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $30
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About Teresa

Bio

I am a Dyslexia/Intervention Specialist certified in English, English Language Arts, Reading, and Generic Special Education with extensive experience in individualized dyslexia intervention. My master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction enabled me to design specific lessons for individual learning styles. My duties as a dyslexia specialist required me to divide my time between several schools and meet with students in grades 3-12 identified as having dyslexia. The students improved, but...

I am a Dyslexia/Intervention Specialist certified in English, English Language Arts, Reading, and Generic Special Education with extensive experience in individualized dyslexia intervention. My master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction enabled me to design specific lessons for individual learning styles. My duties as a dyslexia specialist required me to divide my time between several schools and meet with students in grades 3-12 identified as having dyslexia. The students improved, but they continued to need accommodations and/or modifications to be successful even though their IQ numbers reflected average or above intelligence. Something was missing.
The key to my success came to me during a typical session with a 13-year-old student with whom I had been working for about five weeks. The lesson was typical in that we had gone over the common phonemic rules, and I had confidently explained how dyslexics sometimes see words backward, upside down, or reversed. She simply reached across the table and placed her hand on my arm. She said, “Ms. Graham, I see exactly what you see. I just can’t give it back to you.” Suddenly, it all became so clear! It is a fact that the brain of a dyslexic child is dramatically different from that of a child without dyslexia. Therefore, if we are looking at an undeveloped physical difference in the brain, we must provide the exercises necessary to reorganize and form new neural connections.
To achieve this goal, I developed a program entitled Reading “Rules” that uses repetition, much like calisthenics for the brain, to strengthen the ability to recognize, identify, and manipulate the sounds that create spoken words. All students, whether they are six or sixty, must begin with page one. Lessons must be limited to 10-15 minutes a day and presented a minimum of five days a week. The results continue to be amazing and successful for each child. Over 300 students have completed this program, and without exception, every child has been successful.

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Education

University of Houston
undergrad
University of Houston
Masters
  • Licensed teacher

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Approved Subjects

ADHD

ADHD

I am state certified in Generic Special Education, and as a result I have had specific instruction for ADD/ADHD. I was a staff tutor at a local elementary school for seven years, and many of the students we were assigned to tutor were victims of this disorder. As a result, we were very successful as we were able to teach them in a less disruptive environment. In addition, I am a dyslexia specialist, and in many cases, dyslexia and ADD/ADHD sometimes overlap and I have had the need to apply accommodations for both disorders.
Common Core

Common Core

As a certified special education teacher, I have found Common Core's clear, understandable, and consistent standards to be essential for teaching the wide array of abilities exhibited by students who need additional tutoring to be successful. Even before CC was developed, my methods of teaching were based on mastering each and every standard by applying higher order-thinking skills designed to meet each individual's specific ability level. CC's design of seeking multiple solutions that work for multiple learners has been very successful for me.
Dyslexia

Dyslexia

I served as a Dyslexia/Intervention Specialist for Pasadena ISD for a period of five years. I serviced over sixty students at five different schools. I am familiar with dyslexia and all its related disorders such as dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and most recently dyslogic. My intense training through the Neuhaus Education Center taught me how to help struggling readers understand how letters are linked to sounds (phonemes) and how to connect those letter sound correspondences to reading and writing.
Elementary (K-6th)

Elementary (K-6th)

I have participated in an in-house study to identify those students who "do not qualify" for special education in grades 4-6. My certification in curriculum and instruction and dyslexia intervention allows me to narrow down specific areas in which students struggle. These interventions have proven to be 100% successful.
Elementary Math

Elementary Math

I have tutored elementary math for the last few years and have had great success. Depending on the level of ability, my instruction will concentrate on the five building blocks of math. Success in math depends on a student's ability to understand numbers with instant recall for addition and multiplication and related facts for subtraction and division. I will guarantee my student will understand place value which is the foundation of our number system. Once place value is understood, I will introduce whole number operations necessary for adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division. Once these foundations are stable, I will teach fractions and decimals, which are essential for an introduction to algebra. Once all five founding blocks are in place, students will be able to perform one step, two step, and multistep problems without frustration.
Elementary Science

Elementary Science

Students must develop understanding and skills necessary to be problem-solvers in a scientific and technological world and develop the ability to know, use, and interpret scientific explanation of the natural world.
English

English

I am state certified in English, Reading, and Language Arts.
Grammar

Grammar

Until students understand how to write a good sentence, they will always struggle with writing. I have developed a program of color coding sentences that has proven to be extremely successful with regular students as well as with students with special needs. This system allows students to manipulate sets of words into simple sentences, complex sentences, phrases, and clauses. It helps students understand the purpose of punctuation and capitalization. With practice, students understand the job of prepositions, adverbs, and adjectives and helps them make their writing come alive.
Handwriting

Handwriting

I am a certified Special Education teacher and a dyslexia specialist. There was a significant portion of our training devoted to handwriting and its need. Handwriting is a basic tool for taking notes, writing assignments, and doing classroom work and homework. If it is perceived as a chore, it will make the related work more difficult; therefore, poor handwriting can have a pervasive effect on school performance. I always include handwriting skills whenever I am assessing the needs of any new tutoring client.
Literature

Literature

I am familiar with most required reading in local school districts and can help students learn to recognize plot, conflict, characters, point of view, and theme. If a student is having difficulty in the classroom, I can provide a resource of knowledge with which to discuss a work of literature. My BA is in Literature so I am fully qualified to recognize most written works.
Phonics

Phonics

As a dyslexia specialist, I am able to teach children the relationship between letters (graphemes) and individual sounds (phonemes) of spoken language. My goal is to help students understand this relationship and recognize familiar words accurately and decode new words. Phonics instruction is most effective when it begins in kindergarten or first grade; however, many individuals find themselves in middle school or high school without a working knowledge of phonics. I developed a program designed to correct the problems resulting from dyslexia or simply not having learned to read when reading was taught. I have used this program with students ranging in age from seven to twenty-seven with consistent success.
Reading

Reading

Reading comprehension is defined as understanding and interpreting what is read. Students must be able to simultaneously decode, make connections, think deeply, determine cause and effect, all while drawing conclusions based on prior knowledge and past experiences. I will provide strategies that enables a student to read for understanding. My goal is to help students take appropriate notes, identify main ideas, and recognize and develop summaries for classroom reading passages.
Social Studies

Social Studies

My Texas teaching certificate includes philosophy of education, psychology of learning, and teaching methods in addition to the required minimum course work in specified Geography and History. My education certification programs also includes supervised practice teaching in schools and training in the computer skills needed for research. Social Studies is a study of the common good of a society. Social Studies helps students understand their history and geography and how continents and nations are developed and connected. Social Studies helps students examine their roles and responsibilities to the common good and helps them understand how their diversity of beliefs and values affect the world they live in.
Special Needs

Special Needs

I am certified in Generic Special Education and my job descriptions have included English, Content Mastery, and Resource for sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. I have taught a self-contained sixth and seventh grade class of twelve of whom eleven were returned to the regular classroom.
Spelling

Spelling

Struggling spellers will not be successful spellers until they get their phonemic awareness in control. I will provide a scientific approach that will help a student understand how syllables join together to make words.
STAAR

STAAR

For the past three years I have been employed in Pasadena ISD as a staff tutor to prepare students for the STAAR. My experience as a dyslexia specialist and Special Education certification, in addition to my certification in English and Language Arts, give me the opportunity to reach students of all abilities. My Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction enables me to design specific lessons for individual learning styles. My tutoring groups have, without exception, been successful in showing phenomenal success.
Study Skills

Study Skills

Study skills help students remember and learn new information. Time management and management skills to be taught are organizing and maintaining a notebook, recording assignments, and using calendars and schedules. Suggestions that may help include setting up a comfortable learning area designed to facilitate a workable study routine. Study skills must be designed for each individual around their own lifestyles. My instructions include tips on following directions, using reading strategies, using mnemonics for memory strengthening, and organizing thoughts. In addition, I offer tips on reading expository material, vocabulary development, note taking systems, test taking skills, as well as strategies for writing.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is basically how words and grammar combine to form patterns. How they are used to organize thoughts on paper can present a problem to students who have limited access to conversation. My instruction in vocabulary includes: the meaning of a word. its spoken and written form. prefix, suffix, and root form. the part of speech it represents. its connotation. any synonym or antonym that may apply.
Writing

Writing

An effective writer needs to understand the necessary progression needed for good writing. In addition, students must be comfortable with their knowledge of grammar and the variety in which they can develop sentences. My instruction will give the struggling writer the necessary tools to transfer what is in their mind to another medium. High school curriculum has now been expanded to incorporate a need for brevity in the form of OERS (Open Ended Responses). I can help students who previously were taught to elaborate and expound upon their ideas to limit their responses with fewer words. I will teach them to answer the question, cite from the text using details and quotes for support, and explain the connection between the two.

Examples of Expertise

Teresa has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 4 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (163 ratings)
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Reviews

Simply Amazing

My son was having difficulties with reading comprehension. As a result, math word problems or simply retaining information from long passages was very hard. Mrs. Teresa came in, quickly tested for dyslexia, and accessed that he was not - however, he did have some tendencies. From that point, she put together a Teacher's Plan that simplified the work flow process for my son. It's been about two months now, and we see a dramatic change. He's confident, has a positive attitude and has really improved his grades. Using the new skills taught (you wouldn't believe how simple they are), his reading comprehension is now on his grade level. This summer, we plan on working with 4th grade material. Teresa is simply amazing!

Joseph, 6 lessons with Teresa
Tutor responded:

Thank you so much for such positive comments. It's easy to do a good job when the student is as responsive as your son. I have enjoyed seeing him smile when he knows he has made progress.

great teacher

She’s very knowledgeable and my 12 year old daughter felt comfortable with her. She listened to my concerns and worked with me to help my daughter. We recommend her!

Wendi, 2 lessons with Teresa

Absolutely fantastic!!!

Love how she interacts with my daughter and takes her time. she has a great background that allows her to understand my daughters needs. She also facilitates me with the same lessons she is doing with her.

ANGELA, 3 lessons with Teresa

The absolute best English Tutor

Teresa continues to tutor my son in English and has done a superior job! She has helped him catch-up to his peers academically very quickly. I can only imagine how much he will improve with her as his tutor. Bottom line, Teresa is a fantastic teacher!

Johnathan, 10 lessons with Teresa

Expert in her field

Teresa was extremely knowledgable and talented. She helped recommend solutions for our child's reading struggles and implement an easy to follow guideline for continued improvement.

Will , 1 lesson with Teresa

Very knowledgeable

Teresa has given our son so much confidence in his reading it is absolutely amazing. It's helping him in everything!

Sam, 92 lessons with Teresa

Reliable, patient and effective. Great tutor!

Ms. G. has helped my son in English and Writing skills since 2012. In addition, his confidence, grades and vocabulary has increased. She explained the words in detail, also, give examples and gestures for him to remember the meaning. When my son has a test or paper due, she is always available at a very short notice. We give her a "5 Star" every time! Very pleased and will continue using Ms. G throughout the school year.

Rosalyn, 30 lessons with Teresa

Money well spent!

Teresa was amazing. My daughter felt comfortable and successful right away. I will recommend WyzAnt (especially Teresa) to all my friends and we look forward to our next session with her.

Susan, 2 lessons with Teresa

Very patient

Teresa is very patient with my son, we just had a couple classes and he is already excited to come to class, he is starting to feel confident about what he is capable of, he was so happy today because he understand the fractions, I know he will keep doing better. Thanks.

Prisma, 12 lessons with Teresa

Different Approach

My son is a senior and struggles when it comes to writing. We knew it was imperative to find a tutor in order help prepare him for ACT/SAT writing prompts and college application essays. I was very impressed when my son was able to complete a 448 word essay within an hour. In the past it would takes him all night to complete an essay with struggles to make it to 300 words. I witnessed how she uses a different approach to get his thoughts flowing and learned something new myself. I can see his confidence in writing increasing with each session. So grateful that we found her when we did.

Anthony, 4 lessons with Teresa
Tutor responded:

Thank you so much for such a positive comment. Anthony makes my job so easy. You have done a remarkable job of raising such a well mannered young man. You should be so proud.

Hourly Rate: $30
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