Your child may excel in certain academic skills but struggle with others. Some students, for example, do well in math, but have difficulty with reading and writing. Others might have strong academic skills but need help with their executive functioning skills, like planning, organization, and time management. You may know that your child needs a tutor, but how can you find a good tutor for your child in Manhattan?

Start with a tutoring evaluation 

When seeking a tutor in NYC for your child, it’s important to start with a tutoring evaluation. You may know your child is struggling with a skill, such as reading, but you might not know the specific aspects of reading they need tutoring in. For example, they might have difficulty decoding consonant-vowel-consonant words, words with blends, consonant digraphs, or vowel digraphs, or multi-syllabic word patterns. They may struggle with reading comprehension, including identifying important details, synthesizing the main idea, or making inferences. Before beginning a tutoring program in NYC, your child should start with an initial evaluation. This tutoring evaluation will help determine their specific areas of need in order to come up with an effective tutoring plan.

Choose a tutor who specializes in your child’s needs

It’s important that your child works with a tutor in NYC who specializes in the skills they need help with. For example, if your child has writing challenges, you wouldn’t want them to work with a math specialist. If your child has dyslexia, they would likely benefit from Orton Gillingham tutoring in NYC to effectively remediate their reading skills. When using a tutoring service, after receiving an evaluation, your child should be matched with a tutor in Manhattan who specializes in what they need the most help with, including specific techniques and methodologies.

Learn more about reading tutoring in NYC at
https://eblcoaching.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-reading-specialist-in-nyc/

Find a tutor that uses a structured plan in tutoring sessions

Before your child starts a tutoring program in NYC, a structured plan should be in place to specifically address their areas of need. The tutoring should follow a systematic approach, beginning with your child’s levels and areas of weakness and moving upwards as they progress with their skills. For example, if your child has a learning disability or reading challenges and struggles to read consonant-vowel-consonant words, like mug, pat, or sit, they might benefit from a structured Orton Gillingham tutoring plan. This tutoring plan may begin with teaching your child individual letters and their corresponding sounds, and how to blend those sounds together to form words using a multi-sensory approach. The Orton Gillingham lessons might include tools such as colored sand, magnetic tiles, and a mini whiteboard, all as part of the structured lesson plan. Once your child is effectively able to read consonant-vowel-consonant words, the tutor can move onto words containing blends, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, silent e patterns, multi-syllabic word patterns, and so on, all following a structured, systematic approach.

Look for a tutor that has a personality connection with your child

While it’s important that your child works with a tutor in NYC or tutoring service in Manhattan that specializes in the skills they need help with, it’s also important that your child feels a strong connection with the tutor. The right personality match is key and is important in helping your child feel open and receptive to new ideas and strategies that the tutor will teach them. Many children don’t respond as well to tutoring from someone they don’t feel a strong connection to. When using a tutoring service in NYC, after the evaluation, your child should be matched with a tutor who both specializes in the areas they need help with and who is a good personality fit for your child.

Learn more about tutoring and executive functioning coaching in NYC for your child at https://eblcoaching.com/can-executive-functioning-coaching-help-my-child/
Finding the right tutor in NYC can be a game changer for your child. Follow these ideas to identify a great tutor and help your child thrive in school.

Is your child struggling in school? Learn how EBL Coaching can help them with reading remediation, writing tutoring, math tutoring, executive functioning coaching, and Orton Gillingham tutoring at www.eblcoaching.com. At EBL Coaching, we have helped hundreds students in Manhattan strengthen their reading, writing, math, and executive functioning skills through individualized one-on-one instruction.

Frequently asked questions

What are some signs your child may need a tutor?
If you notice that your child is struggling with an academic skill or set of skills at school; avoids homework; struggles to stay organized or manage their time; or has grades that are falling, you may want to consider a one-on-one tutor for them.

When should my child start tutoring?
If you see your child struggling in school or has declining self-esteem, don’t wait! It’s better to be proactive in seeking academic remediation for them than waiting until the struggles become greater.

What are some skills my child may learn from one-on-one tutoring?
Your child’s one-on-one tutoring sessions should be tailored to their specific challenges. If they struggle with reading and writing, for example, the tutoring sessions should remediate those skills using a structured approach that meets their needs.

Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has been running a specialized tutoring program in NYC for over 20 years.

The post How to Find The Best Tutor in NYC For Your Child appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Dysgraphia affects a child’s ability to form words and letters, space words properly, and express thoughts in writing. These apps can help.

Many students with dysgraphia struggle with spelling, handwriting, and expressing their thoughts on paper when writing. ‎While an individualized, multi-sensory instructional plan is most ideal for remedying these academic challenges, there are many tech tools that can help kids with dysgraphia build these key skills. Try some of the apps detailed below.

iTrace
‎Handwriting, letter spacing, and fine motor skills are all areas that are typically challenging for kids with dygraphia. iTrace is a great tool for helping students build these important skills. With this app, children as young as age 3 can practice letter, number, and word formation, and can even work on spelling their name properly. An animated “hand” demonstrates tracing each letter before the child writes it, serving as a helpful model for proper formation. Parents can even add their own words, select background music, and receive progress reports on the status of their child’s writing. iTrace is a useful tool for helping your child master these key writing skills.

ABC Pocket Phonics
This is another great app for teaching students in grades pre-K-1 proper letter formation when writing, along with letter/sound recognition and how to blend sounds together when spelling. Kids are introduced to various phonemes, starting with basic consonants and short vowels and gradually increasing to more complex sounds, and are asked to say each phoneme, write it, and apply it to a word. At the end of each unit, they are awarded with stars based on selecting the correct phonemes to complete certain words and accurately tracing letters. This app is Orton Gillingham–based and much more fun for most kids than traditional pen-and-paper phonics activities.

Montessori Crosswords
Montessori Crosswords is another great app for building spelling skills. Preschool and elementary-aged students learn to spell words by dragging letters into a crossword frame that is associated with selected pictures. Students start with basic CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words and drag letters to spell simple words like can‎, dog, and mat, and later progress to words containing blends (like flag, plug, and glad), words with consonant and vowel digraphs (like ship, bath, and feet), and multi-syllabic words. When they correctly spell a word, colorful confetti fills the screen, providing children with a fun and engaging experience.

Dragon Dictation
Many kids with dysgraphia have intelligent and creative ideas but struggle to express them on paper when writing. Dragon Dictation is a voice recognition app that allows students to dictate their ideas orally and have them presented on a screen, rather than transcribing them. ‎ To use the app, students hit “record” and begin speaking, then hit “stop” when they are done. They can then cut and paste their text and save it elsewhere, or send it out via email, text, or social media. It’s important that kids speak clearly when using this app, and it’s helpful for an adult to check the text for accuracy after it has been dictated.

Inspiration Maps
Inspiration Maps helps students with dysgraphia organize their ideas into visual maps. Children can create organized mind maps using a touch screen as a means of brainstorming before writing a paragraph, essay, or speech. They can add colors, icons, pictures, and photos to their mind maps, making the process fun and engaging. Once completed, they can convert their map to a linear outline, or can print it, share it via email, or save it to DropBox, iTunes, or the app itself. Templates are available, or students can create their own maps.

Students with dysgraphia typically face continued spelling and writing challenges as they progress through school. These apps can help ease these struggles and set them up for academic success.

The post Best Apps For Your Child With Dysgraphia appeared first on EBL Coaching.