Patricia

I specialise in enabling children to overcome their blocks to learning. I help children with lack of confidence, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD, deafness (BSL), depression, Downs Syndrome and other disabilities. I also teach English as another language with ages 3 to adulthood. I use the Orton-Gillingham method, which is a multi-sensory approach that research has shown to be the only way that Dyslexics can succeed.

Tutoring Experience

I have 30 years experience teaching all ages of people from age 2 to adults, but mainly the primary years. I have taught in England, USA and Kuwait; in schools and alternative settings such as small family groups and individual tutoring sessions.
I am a qualified teacher of hearing impaired children with a knowledge of BSL.

Tutoring Approach

I am patient, kind and cheerful and my aim is for each student to enjoy their sessions with me. Learning does not take place without enjoyment.
I teach using my student's preferred learning style, which could be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (or more likely a combination of two). With parents permission, I also use tools such as Brain Gym ©, EFT tapping and therapeutic essential oils. These tools get results regarding confidence, concentration and overcoming blocks to learning.
It’s been my experience that the reason many children struggle to keep up in maths in the later years is that they have not been given enough opportunity to explore the maths concepts taught in a concrete way using hands-on materials. This is a fault of the National Curriculum which speeds the class onto the next topic, thus not giving enough time for this activity.
This is one of the main reasons why I do not teach in schools anymore. It hurt too much to be part of the system that failed the children.
Therefore my approach is to give hands-on activities so my students can embed the concepts thoroughly thus enabling them to become confident in future maths lessons at school.
Regarding English, I have a very effective Orton-Gillingham program that I use to teach specific phonics which I call advanced phonics for the older children who are struggling. It is very comprehensive and fills in the gaps that the teaching in schools misses. It is scientifically designed to become embedded in the brain, accessing it through all the pathways - visual, auditory, speaking and kinaesthetic (movement) all at the same time. Everyone I have used this with has improved greatly whether in a class or individual setting. Research shows that the Orton-Gillingham method is the only one that enables Dyslexics to succeed.
This enables children to approach reading and writing with confidence because they have the necessary tools to decode and spell even the hardest words.
I can also offer information and advice on how to approach learning, concentration and behaviour difficulties from a nutritional and lifestyle point of view.