Tutoring for learners with dyslexia and dyscalculia (MLD)
Compassionate and effective online tutoring using the
Orton-Gillingham Method and Multi-sensory Math.
Mindguide Learning offers, Compassionate and effective online tutoring using the Orton-Gillingham Method and Multi-sensory Math.
If you're dealing with math anxiety, pep talks and lectures won't work. Math anxiety isn't about math - it's about the stories we tell ourselves and the messages we get about math. Our approach addresses the symptoms of math anxiety and reshapes the entire math experience through personalized mental and practical strategies that can be put into action to heal your wounded learner today.
✅ Concrete Representational Abstract method
✅ Interleaved Review in each session
✅ Skills Reinforced with Fun Games
✅ Focus on a few select math facts at a time
✅ Aligned with the Science of Reading
✅ Direct instruction in Handwriting if needed
✅ Skills are mastered before moving on
✅ Connected text has no unfair words
Who am I to talk about math anxiety? I started out as a wounded learner myself. In a strictly traditional textbook and homework school, I felt early on that I would never be "good at math." This limited my ideas about what was possible for me in life. When I took Montessori training as an adult, the visual, multisensory way of learning to teach math helped me visualize and conceptualize in a way that completely empowered me to teach with confidence. It nearly brought me to tears, then I kept learning other ways to support math learning from experts around the world. As a tutor, I often get students who just need another way of seeing things, but many times, we need to first remove the barrier of math anxiety that literally shuts down their ability to think. EVERYONE CAN LEARN MATH and this course was created to let you prove that to yourself and your students or children.
Learn the difference between math anxiety and other challenges and understand the profound effect they can have on learning and life.
Debunk common math myths that discourage students and learn how parents and teachers may unknowingly contribute to math anxiety.
Help your student dubunk the myth that they "just aren't a math person" and to see themselves as a work in progress, boosting motivation and confidence.
Get downloadable tools to help students change their thinking and support healthy coping skills.
More downloadable resources help students make the most of study time, create consistent learning and build preparedness for a lifetime of progress in math.
Many students who struggle academically also have poor handwriting. We use explicit instruction to teach letter formation and break down the process into specific steps, emphasizing starting points, direction, and proper sequencing. We encourage comfortable pencil/pen grip, spacing between words, and correct letter size and proportions. Capitals and punctuation are
Mindguide serves children 9 years of age and older who have a need for differentiated instruction in language and/or math. Many of our students have ADHD, autism and/or dysgraphia, and our tutors use specialized techniques to support them.
Our tutors are highly qualified professionals with expertise in general education, special education and specific training in supporting students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Most of our tutors are experienced teachers still in the classroom, some are retired. A few have PhDs or are enrolled in PhD programs. All our tutors undergo rigorous training in the Orton-Gillingham method and the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) method. It's important to note that OG and CRA are methods, not scripted, boxed curricula and Mindguide is not wedded to any one training center or organization. All of our OG tutors are trained by organizations recognized by the International Dyslexia Association. There is no parallel organization for multi-sensory or CRA/CPA math. Tutors use the essential aspects of each method to support individual learners.
Our students are living with significant academic challenges that can take years to remediate, and some Mindguide students have been with us for four or five years. We ask for at least a six month commitment and use a monthly tuition system. Monthly amounts are based on the number of possible lessons within those months times the hourly rate, which is $85 per session. Most families' monthly rates are just over $600 a month.
This is not quarantine-style distance learning! Our online tutoring format allows for one-on-one interactive sessions where students can engage with physical materials and digital tools in a way that is tailored to their individual learning styles. Students are comfortable in their own homes, not self-conscious in front of peers, and always observed. Tutors adapt to their emotional and academic needs moment to moment. It's convenient for parents too - no more rush hour drives and waiting.
The Orton-Gillingham method is a research-based, multi-sensory approach that focuses on teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency and comprehension. It is diagnostic and prescriptive, meaning we assess existing student knowledge and build upon it in a structured and sequential way according to each student's needs.
The Concrete-Representational/Pictorial-Abstract (CRA/CPA) method emphasizes the use of manipulatives and visual representations to help students grasp mathematical concepts concretely before moving to abstract symbols and equations. It gives students the why and how of math rather than rules and steps to follow without conceptual understanding.
Every child with ADD/ADHD is different. Some need a dopamine boost through gamification. Some need an energy release through physical activity like jumping jacks or stretching. They all need "brain breaks." We use checklists to help them keep track of lesson progress, and give lots of positive feedback. Tutors observe student responses and gauge the effectiveness of such supports. Since ADHD symptoms are unique in each learner and even from day to day, strategies are adapted along the way.
Our intake assessments give us a starting point in the scope and sequence. The math assessment is based on conversation and observation. We ask students how they feel about math, how they solve or would solve a math equation. We review even the most basic numeracy skills to see if there are inaccuracies in counting, skip counting, reading and writing numbers, or their conceptual and procedural understanding of the four operations.
Before starting with language students, we assess four skills: phonemic awareness (separating and manipulating the sounds within words), phonics knowledge (sound/symbol correspondence), spelling and reading fluency. Parents receive a report with this information.
Post-assessment data is taken every quarter so we can celebrate our students' success.
We know we need to build trust with your child in order for them to be vulnerable and show us their struggles. We start by making an authentic connection, then meet them where they are. Lessons are at their own pace, and celebrate the small wins. Over time, they come to realize that we are valuable advocates for them.
We adapt our teaching style to the emotional and cognitive needs of each learner. One in three children with dyslexia also lives with ADD/ADHD. Our children are coping with anxiety, low self-esteem, and even depression. At Mindguide, we address the needs of the whole child, putting mutual respect, trust and compassion first while using science backed instructional methods.
Contact
info@mindguide.com
