Tutoring is offered in the following three main areas of language arts:
- Grammar – Design for language-challenged students. Proper grammar is the fundamental building block of written language. I begin by teaching what grammar is, why it’s important, and the vocabulary it uses. I will then proceed to teach proper sentence construction, proper punctuation and capitalization, parts of speech, subject/verb agreement, irregular verbs, clause vs. phrase, and so much more. Chances are when your child finishes this course of study he/she will be able to teach you a thing or two about grammar.
- Writing – Designed for the non-writer. We start at the beginning by focusing on the structure and standard conventions of written English. As the student demonstrates mastery of these concepts, our focus turns to content, style, vocabulary, research, and the use of a thesaurus. Eventually, the student will independently write a coherent passage (length is determined by the student’s age and ability), complete with citations and a bibliography.
- Literary Comprehension – Designed for any student who reads but has no idea what they just read. Focus is on how plot/structure, character, setting, and many other literary techniques, such as inferences, foreshadowing, and symbolism, are used by the author to create meaning. Visualization techniques are taught to help the reader hold onto the information they’ve just read.
Lessons are 1 hour in duration with a minimum of 2-3 sessions per week. Homework will likely be assigned.