Educator Patricia

Does your son or daughter struggle to learn to read, or write or spell words correctly?

Are they Dyslexic or do you suspect they might be?

They may need to be specifically taught the mechanics of how words are constructed in order to understand how to write and spell and therefore decode words on their own. English spelling has a logic to it that’s not taught in school and there are actually very few exceptions.

I use a very effective comprehensive explicit multisensory phonics system (the Orton-Gillingham method) that develops excellent listening and processing skills.

I’ve had excellent results with this approach. Your learner will come to differentiate the sounds within words and know what letter or group of letters make that sound and the different rules for their use. This ensures that not only will they be able to read better but able to write and spell words they have not seen before: and thus their confidence grows. I integrate cursive handwriting with the program which will enable your offspring to write without strain and develop pride in their presentation. During the course of this, I also focus on sentence construction and vocabulary building to help with creative writing.

ENGLISH

When girls and boys have completed this programme we go onto another very exciting part of the English language, which is examining English from the roots up. That is exploring the Greek and Roman root words and all their derivations. This gives them mastery over the English language. I have not met a boy or girl who does not enjoy discovering this information.

In the case of English, the instruction is all online via video and shared screen and your son or daughter will be writing in a book. They show me their work by holding the book or whiteboard up to the camera. I use commercial activities, such as a letter tile app, and activities I have made myself to teach and enhance learning and enjoyment.

MATHS

I give my learners many hands-on experiences using materials. This ensures they have a good foundation on which to build the higher-level concepts they are being taught: and thus their confidence grows.

In the case of Maths, we can use online commercial activities and online activities I have made myself. I will also suggest maths equipment both gathered from around the house and commercial so that your learner can have that important tactile and kinesthetic experience in order to understand the maths concepts. Learners need to hold maths in their hands before they can hold maths in their head.

I’ve been a teacher for almost 30 years in America and Kuwait but mainly in England. I now help learners as an Online Private Educator (and with face-to-face sessions for age 4-11yrs). I educate the young learners in a way that’s ideal for those who are struggling because I have mild Dyslexia and Dyscalculia myself and therefore can relate to how they need to learn.

THE WHOLE CHILD

At the beginning of every session, we do some Brain Gym which consists of movements to help the mind focus and integrate the right and left brain for optimal learning. We then do some exercises to calm anxiety.

We also may do some EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique). I say a short tapping poem that incorporates all the tapping points in a fun way. If your son or daughter is emotionally stuck on an issue, especially if they have a negative self-belief about their own ability to learn, we may, with your permission, do some further tapping to help release that energy block.