Reading (K-8)

Grade(s): K-8
Areas of focus: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, Comprehension
Service available in: Seattle, Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland and Newcastle
Dates and Times of Availability: Monday-Friday (after 3:00pm)/ Saturday-Sunday (after 12:00pm)
Cost/Hourly rates: Click here to learn more

We no longer live in a time where a teen could leave high school and find a job to support a family. Competent reading ability is now a mandatory skills for success in all areas of academics such as math, science, and writing. Becoming a high-level reader is not difficult, and doing it the "right" way from the foundation up is more important than ever before. Similar to other areas of academic, good reading skills must be cultivated from kindergarden; each step must lay an unshakable foundation for the next. NorthStar Tutoring Services reading program is designed so that by the time a teen reaches the 8th grade, he/she should be considered an "advanced reader." The best way to achieve this is by focusing on what's useful and discard what's not when teaching a child how to read.

What are the six important guideline of effective reading tutoring?

NorthStar Tutoring Services uses similar guidelines as set forth by the National Reading Panel. Where as the National Reading Panel emphasizes 5 key elements, NorthStar Tutoring Services emphasize 6, the last being Critical Thinking, which is the highest level of reading. Emphasize on the six key elements below is essential to reading success.

Phonemic Awareness: this is the ability to hear and understand spoken words.

Phonics: this is the ability to make connection between spoken to written words.

Fluency: this is the ability to read materials without difficulty and recognizes the changes of tones as reflected in any given passages.

Vocabulary: this is the ability to understand diction, and the continuous effort to broaden an individual's vocabulary library.

Comprehension: this is the ability to understand what was read, and the most difficult stage of learning how to read effectively.

Critical Thinking: this is the ability to comprehend the deeper or hidden meaning of the text, and is more advanced than basic comprehension.

How do our tutors help?
We design our tutoring sessions to cover past, present and future material in each session. A typical session lasts 1-1.5 hours, and generally follow a layout/format as seen below:

A. Finishing up current homework or any assigned reading materials
B. Review previous sections' materials or fortify positive reading habits
C. Help students with more advanced reading technique, as appropriate to the individual

Do you offer any enrichment program for reading?

Yes. We provide enrichment programs for children who are ahead of their peers in all areas of academic. Our goal is to always maximize an individual's talents and gifts.

What is the first and most important step to help my child become a more effective reader?

The most important rule of reading is "enjoyability." While it is important that reading should be educational, if the experience is frustrating, then the love of reading will be gone. Assessing interests, ability, and appropriateness of reading materials are all essential in helping an individual become a more effective reader.

How is the approach different for a beginner reader vs. an advanced reader?

A beginner reader needs to focus on the basic foundation, repetition, and vocabulary development. An advanced reader should focus on more difficult text, with comprehension as the main focus.

Have more questions? Contact us directly at 206-779-2934 for a consultation or evaluation.

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Reading (K-8)