New Parent Information

I tutor reading and spelling using the Orton-Gillingham based programs Barton Reading & Spelling, Foundations in Sounds, and Equipped for Reading Success. These are structed literacy aligned and offer explicit, multi-sensory and sequential approaches to teaching reading and spelling. In addition, I have many resources available to reinforce and support the concepts taught, provide scaffolding when needed, practice new skills, and review those that have been taught. I use Supporting Dyslexia Comprehension Activities, games with WordWall, Dyslexia Tutoring Toolkit, and Spelling Success and more. 

What to Expect?

During our first session, I will spend some time getting to know your student. I will administer the Barton Reading & Spelling student screening as well as the Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST). We will test Zoom settings, practice screen sharing and sharing the mouse, and I'll introduce your student to using tiles and teach how to use the additional features in Whizzimo and Zoom.

I encourage a collaborative approach to tutoring. I will often assign homework and activities that should be done in-between tutoring sessions. Your support and help at home are critical for reinforcing the concepts being taught during tutoring, and provide the additional practice needed.

Remote Tutoring

All tutoring sessions are online, remote via Zoom. I use several apps and share the screen and mouse during tutoring sessions. The following tech specifications are needed for a smooth and stress-free online experience:

  • A windows PC or Mac computer (not a Chromebook or tablet) with a webcam.
  • Operating Systems--Windows 7 or later or Mac OSX Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or later Processor--2 Ghz minimum
  • RAM--4 GB minimum
  • Computer Chip--Intel i3, i5, or i7 (or AMD equivalent)
  • Internet Speed--25 mbps download and 5 mbps upload (wired connection highly recommended
  • Mouse with a mousepad is preferred for manipulating onscreen tiles
  • A headset with earphones and a microphone
  • Download the Zoom program from www.zoom.us prior to the meeting. Test your audio settings prior to the meeting by opening the Zoom program, click on "start meeting," then click on the ^ next to the microphone in the lower-left corner. Click on "Test Speaker and Microphone."
  • A quiet, distraction-free space and an adult nearby or "on-call" for any technical issues that may arise.
During the first several sessions, I request an adult to be nearby (or present in the room for younger students) to see that your student stays on task and is focused and to help with any technical issues.

If there are any issues logging on to zoom, please send me a message via text or Messenger, as I may be with a student and unable to answer immediately.

Supplies

All curriculum is provided by the tutor. However, your student will need some basic school supplies as we progress through the levels. When assigned as homework, the ability to print rule sheets, extra practice pages, and fluency pages is ideal.

Foundation in Sounds: No supplies needed

Barton Book 1: No supplies Needed

Barton Book 2: Small white board and dry erase marker, eraser. Suggested for those that need handwriting practice: Writing Wizzard app ($5.00). Occasionally I may request the student have paper and pencil if needed.

Barton Book 3: Three-ring binder, ability to print out spelling rules, plastic sheet protectors

Barton Book 4, and beyond: Franklin Spelling Ace


Attendance Policy

Your student's sessions are standing appointments. Consistency in attendance is critical to achieve educational growth. 

I require 24 hours' notice for cancellations.

Any session missed without 24 hours' notice will be marked as an unexcused absence.

The only exception is for emergencies or illnesses.

Unexcused absences are recorded and communicated to School Solutions. Please see the School Solutions attendance policies below.

Make-up sessions must be scheduled for missed/cancelled sessions.

Once you have notified me of an absence, I will make the necessary changes on the calendar.

You can now schedule your own makeup sessions on the TutorBird calendar! At your earliest connivence, please use the TutorBird calendar to schedule a makeup session. Makeup sessions must occur within 2 weeks of the absence. If you do not find an opening that works for your schedule, please let me know as soon as possible. 

You will have 10 minutes to log into a Zoom meeting.

You will receive an email reminder 24 hours prior to a scheduled session.

If I do not receive a text from you with notification that you will be tardy, I will leave the meeting at ten after, and the session will be marked as a no show.

I will no longer text if a student is not logged in to Zoom within 10 minutes of the session start time. I will simply log out at 10 minutes and notify you of the missed session via email.

No-shows are recorded and communicated to School Solutions. Please refer to the School Solutions policies below. 

Excessive rescheduling, cancellations, or no-shows may result in the termination of services for your student.


School Solutions Non-Medical or Non-Emergency Cancellations

The definition of a non-medical or non-emergency cancellation includes but is not limited to:

  • Logging on too late (the tutor decides how late is too late)
  • Not attending due to any reason other than medical/emergency
Non-medical, non-emergency cancellations received with less than 24 hours' notice will be billed at $30. An invoice with the total amount will be emailed. Tutoring is suspended until payment is received meaning that tutoring will resume upon reimbursement for the unexcused absence. This is a School Solutions policy. Your individual tutor/therapist (as an independent contractor) may have any additional policy that includes reimbursement for non-medical/non-emergency absences.


Here is the time-line:

1. First non-medical/non-emergency absence: forgiven without an invoice.

2. Second non-medical/non-emergency absence: an invoice will be emailed to you which is due within 24 hours of receipt. Tutoring will resume once the non-medical/non-emergency absence is paid.

Summer Sessions

Barton Reading & Spelling recommends year-round tutoring and also suggests that summer is a great time to get in some extra tutoring time. Knowing that my Jon Peterson students do not usually receive enough sessions to cover a full year, I offer self-pay tutoring sessions during the summer months. I recently contacted Susan Barton for clarification on tutoring all year round. This was her response:

It is critical to provide at least 2 hours of one-on-one tutoring using the Barton Reading & Spelling System every week, all year long -- especially while a Barton student is in the early levels -- Level 1, 2, 3 and 4. Once a student is in Level 5 or higher, their reading and spelling skills will be so strongly ingrained that they will not lose too much over a 2 to 3 month summer break. But if tutoring is not provided consistently all year long while a child is in the earlier levels, their skills will regress tremendously during a 2 to 3 month (or 8 to 10 week) break. That means their Barton tutor would have to spend the first few months of the next school year re-teaching the same skills the student had been taught in the last half of the prior year. I would hate to have that happen to your students. So they can take a break for 1 or 2 weeks, once or twice a year -- but not for 10 weeks.

In an effort to tutor the Barton Reading & Spelling program with fidelity, I will offer summer packages to cover the sessions that the Jon Peterson Scholarship does not cover. These packages are self-pay and offered at a discounted rate from my usual tutoring fee. Please look for additional information about the summer packages after the first of the year.


Please read the Advice for Parents and Resources pages and complete the New Student Sign-up.