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The Language Maven (and beyond)
Carol Anne S.

5.0 (490 ratings)

3,500 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $60
Contact Carol Anne
Response time: 17 minutes
Carol Anne S.'s Photo
Carol Anne S.'s Photo Carol Anne S.'s Photo

The Language Maven (and beyond)
The Language Maven (and beyond)
Carol Anne S.

5.0 (490 ratings)

3,500 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
5.0 (490 ratings)

3,500 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

About Carol Anne

Bio

I have been a private educator for many years, and I truly love working one-on-one with students. With an MA in linguistics, and a background of working in education for over 25 years, I find that there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the light bulb appear above the student's head when he or she finally gets it.

My strengths as a tutor include the fact that I am excellent at communicating with my students, I know how to work at each student's level, and still can get each student to...

I have been a private educator for many years, and I truly love working one-on-one with students. With an MA in linguistics, and a background of working in education for over 25 years, I find that there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the light bulb appear above the student's head when he or she finally gets it.

My strengths as a tutor include the fact that I am excellent at communicating with my students, I know how to work at each student's level, and still can get each student to move up to the next level. I also have a way of making work fun for my students, finding a way to connect with them through a touch of humor, when appropriate.

I specialize in the realm of language--all things English (reading comprehension, grammar, essay-writing skills, vocabulary, literature--you name it), Spanish up through college level and French up through at least French II in high school. I have tutored SAT I prep for years successfully for both parts of the English (writing and reading) as well as the math portion, and have helped prep students as well for other standardized tests such as the SAT Spanish subject test, and SAT Literature test, ACT, HSPT, ISEE, and COOP tests. I work with students ranging from 4 years of age (pre-K preparation) through college (English and Spanish skills primarily for college students).

Read more

Education

California State University, Northridge
Linguistics, Anthropology
Califonia State University, Northridge
Masters

Policies

  • Hourly Rate: $60
  • Rate details: Two students per session for same subject simultaneously, will be charged just an add'l 50% per hour.
  • Lesson cancellation: 12 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 1/14/2014

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

Schedule

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Approved Subjects

Art

Theater

Theater

I have been a professional actress most of my life, and have been in some 40+ plays and have studied Theatre Arts both at college as well as been in numerous theatre workshops over the years. I am in all three major performing unions (SAG/AFTRA/AEA). I have many skills that I feel I can share with a student such as understanding, memorizing, and performing audition monologues and the like. Also, I have read literally hundreds of plays over the years and have even, more recently, written several. I feel that an acting student could benefit from even a short period working with me in preparation for a role at school.

Business

GRE

GRE

I primarily help students with the analytical writing and verbal reasoning sections, on which I scored very highly on my own GRE. I specialize in writing and reading comprehension skills, and so can help students preparing for the GRE to a great extent on those sections. I can also help with the quantitative reasoning section in regards to how to approach most problems, but, again, my specialties lie in all language-related subject matter.

Corporate Training

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students over the years who needed to improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills, with great success. While it is sometimes easier to work with Spanish-speaking TESOL students (I am nearly fluent in Spanish), as well as French students (I communicate in French as well), I have worked with students from Indonesia, Iran, and Russia--whose languages I do not speak--and was able to help them polish their English-speaking skills as well.
Grammar,

Grammar

Grammar is an essential part of writing and communicating well. If a student has good grammar skills, he or she sounds more well-read and better educated. Once correct grammar usage becomes second nature, a person feels much more confident speaking in public as well as writing even simple memos and emails at work. Often, the habits of modern day texting as well as quick 'tweets' prevent students and adults from using more well-developed communication skills. This is why I believe students of all ages can benefit from developing a better working knowledge of grammar, among other written communication skills. Grammar is also a crucial element of most standardized tests, and even the best essay writers can lose valuable points by making too many grammatical errors. I have worked with students of all ages in language arts in general, including grammar, diction, as well as in English 'mechanics' (punctuation, primarily) for many years.
Proofreading,

Proofreading

Along with tutoring, I do freelance proofreading, editing and writing. I have proofed and/or edited articles, novels, website copy, and even one legal brief! When I work with students (as opposed to when being hired to simply review and correct someone's writing), I prefer to show them why I choose to alter anything, and how they can better communicate the material through judicious edits. My goal is always to help demonstrate for my students how they might work towards doing their own proofing and editing.
Spanish

Spanish

I have been helping students of Spanish (all levels) for over 15 years as a tutor. Prior to that, I was a bilingual aide at an elementary school for several years and later worked as a bilingual substitute teacher for the LAUSD. I have an MA in Linguistics, and my second language proficiency (one of the requirements to achieve the Masters Degree) is in Spanish. Along with my studies, I also grew up around family members whose primary language was Spanish (my two eldest brothers' wives hail from Costa Rica). I have helped many students improve their grades--often dramatically--in their Spanish classes through my work with them. I believe my love for the language often rubs off on my students!

Elementary Education

Elementary (K-6th),

Elementary (K-6th)

I have worked with K-6 students for nearly 13 years now as a tutor. Prior to this, I have been both a substitute teacher for K-6 in the L.A. Unified district and, even earlier, a bilingual aide for second- and third-graders in Grant Elementary School in Santa Monica. I have helped the youngest of my students (pre-K) grasp the fundamentals of learning their letters, numbers and colors, through helping students of all ages with their math skills, reading fluency and comprehension, writing skills, learning basic note-taking and study skills, along with all other matters related to elementary education. My main goal with younger students is to help them focus, and learn to enjoy the process of learning. I have also worked with many students of all ages who have problems focusing due to ADD or ADHD, and they seem to work very well with me, possibly due to the fact I have the kind of (positive) energy that can help to channel theirs. While I enjoy working with students of all ages up through their college years, there is a special place in my heart for working with younger students for whom learning is still a very new adventure.
Grammar,

Grammar

Grammar is an essential part of writing and communicating well. If a student has good grammar skills, he or she sounds more well-read and better educated. Once correct grammar usage becomes second nature, a person feels much more confident speaking in public as well as writing even simple memos and emails at work. Often, the habits of modern day texting as well as quick 'tweets' prevent students and adults from using more well-developed communication skills. This is why I believe students of all ages can benefit from developing a better working knowledge of grammar, among other written communication skills. Grammar is also a crucial element of most standardized tests, and even the best essay writers can lose valuable points by making too many grammatical errors. I have worked with students of all ages in language arts in general, including grammar, diction, as well as in English 'mechanics' (punctuation, primarily) for many years.
Phonics,

Phonics

I have worked with elementary students on language arts and phonics for over 10 years, helping young students find the connections between sights and sounds. I can help students move from combining individual letter sounds (phonemes) such as in 'cat' or 'dog', to consonant blends (where two consonants form a new sound together) such as in blend or chair. Eventually, the student begins to develop the confidence to sound out new words, with new phonetic combinations, all on his or her own. At that point, a new student begins begins their journey into the world of reading enjoyment.
Reading,

Reading

Reading comprehension is an essential component, perhaps *the* essential component, of every student's academic success. I believe it is crucial for students to not only develop good reading skills, but to learn to love to read as a way of life. I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, as well as improving their reading comprehension and fluency, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
Study Skills,

Study Skills

I help students 'learn how to learn better', by helping them discover how to glean important material and to take productive notes for their reading assignments, through using study cards to highlight the most important and pertinent facts, developing outlines and/or summaries of important material, learning to execute judicious highlighting when allowed in the text, as well as helping them improve their reading comprehension techniques. I also work with them on time management, enabling students to devise a plan regarding the amount of time to allow on each subject per evening of homework or before upcoming tests, based on their abilities and workload, as well as the order of each deadline. One student I helped had both issues with his study skills as well as having a fairly severe case of ADHD. I would meet with him for an hour four times a week and would show him how to devise a plan regarding his homework and study schedule. I would also literally watch him do his homework (per his parents' request) even when it did not fall into one of my areas of expertise. Still, even when he would be doing, say, physics problems--a subject I know very little about--I would quiz him on what he was doing to keep him on track and it apparently helped him quite a bit in the course. The kind of help each student needs varies, but I find out which approach works best for each student, and what particular skills that student needs to perform at his or her best.
Spelling, Vocabulary

English

ACT English,

ACT English

I help students learn to recognize the errors in the long passages of the ACT English portion of the exam. They learn how to correct and improve grammar, style, sentence structure, diction, and organization issues. Since I also freelance as a writer, proofreader, and copy editor, I feel I can really help my students not only do well on finding the errors in those passages, but also to improve their own writing skills for the ACT essay. These are skills that, once learned, will enable the students to do well far beyond the immediate needs of this exam.
ACT Reading,

ACT Reading

I have been helping students with the reading section of the ACT for almost 10 years now. I help students find their own best way to work through the passages for comprehension and to glean the pertinent information to answer the questions to the best of their ability. As with the SAT, I emphasize a holistic method for preparing students for the ACT, including making sure the student does as much outside reading as possible for all the language portions of the exam, but I also help them-- when limited in the amount of time before the exam-- learn how best to navigate the reading sections for the best possible outcome based on their current command of language.
English,

English

I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, improving their reading comprehension, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students over the years who needed to improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills, with great success. While it is sometimes easier to work with Spanish-speaking TESOL students (I am nearly fluent in Spanish), as well as French students (I communicate in French as well), I have worked with students from Indonesia, Iran, and Russia--whose languages I do not speak--and was able to help them polish their English-speaking skills as well.
Grammar,

Grammar

Grammar is an essential part of writing and communicating well. If a student has good grammar skills, he or she sounds more well-read and better educated. Once correct grammar usage becomes second nature, a person feels much more confident speaking in public as well as writing even simple memos and emails at work. Often, the habits of modern day texting as well as quick 'tweets' prevent students and adults from using more well-developed communication skills. This is why I believe students of all ages can benefit from developing a better working knowledge of grammar, among other written communication skills. Grammar is also a crucial element of most standardized tests, and even the best essay writers can lose valuable points by making too many grammatical errors. I have worked with students of all ages in language arts in general, including grammar, diction, as well as in English 'mechanics' (punctuation, primarily) for many years.
Proofreading,

Proofreading

Along with tutoring, I do freelance proofreading, editing and writing. I have proofed and/or edited articles, novels, website copy, and even one legal brief! When I work with students (as opposed to when being hired to simply review and correct someone's writing), I prefer to show them why I choose to alter anything, and how they can better communicate the material through judicious edits. My goal is always to help demonstrate for my students how they might work towards doing their own proofing and editing.
Reading,

Reading

Reading comprehension is an essential component, perhaps *the* essential component, of every student's academic success. I believe it is crucial for students to not only develop good reading skills, but to learn to love to read as a way of life. I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, as well as improving their reading comprehension and fluency, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

I have been helping students with the reading (as well as writing) components of the SAT for over 15 years now. I help students find their own best way to work through the passages for comprehension and to glean the pertinent information to answer the questions to the best of their ability. While I never suggest shortcuts to continually working on vocabulary and reading everything in sight to help them with this section, I do help them speed up the process by finding the method that works best for each student, regarding how to approach the passages.. I emphasize a holistic method for preparing students for the SAT in general, but I also help them-- when limited in the amount of time before the exam-- navigate the reading sections for the best possible outcome based on their current command of language.
SAT Writing,

SAT Writing

I have helped students with the writing portion of the SAT, as well as the earlier SAT Writing Subject test for over 15 years. I help students refresh (or learn) all the grammar and style points necessary to work on Writing and Language section. I also help them to know how best to organize their material, develop their arguments, to pre-write, and to finally write the SAT essay. I help them review their previous essays, offering suggestions of both style and substance, and we discuss how they can improve their writing style, if necessary, or work on having subject material from history, literature, and their own personal experiences at their fingertips to utilize for content for the future essay. In short, I help put students much more at ease, with a stronger skills set, and give them as much confidence as possible so they can feel little to no anxiety in taking the SAT.
TOEFL,

TOEFL

I have tutored quite a number of students who have come here from all over the world to help prepare them to take the TOEFL exam, and they all have felt much better prepared and have been successful in their test results for this very challenging exam. For most students, there was that one section that proved to be particularly challenging for them, whether it was the speaking or listening portions, or, often, the writing portions of the exam. We would then focus on that particular section of the exam while also working on an overall review of the material. All my TOEFL students came out much more confident and ready for the exam, and from those who contacted me afterwards, they had stellar results!
Writing,

Writing

I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, improving their reading comprehension, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
Spelling, Vocabulary

Homeschool

Elementary (K-6th),

Elementary (K-6th)

I have worked with K-6 students for nearly 13 years now as a tutor. Prior to this, I have been both a substitute teacher for K-6 in the L.A. Unified district and, even earlier, a bilingual aide for second- and third-graders in Grant Elementary School in Santa Monica. I have helped the youngest of my students (pre-K) grasp the fundamentals of learning their letters, numbers and colors, through helping students of all ages with their math skills, reading fluency and comprehension, writing skills, learning basic note-taking and study skills, along with all other matters related to elementary education. My main goal with younger students is to help them focus, and learn to enjoy the process of learning. I have also worked with many students of all ages who have problems focusing due to ADD or ADHD, and they seem to work very well with me, possibly due to the fact I have the kind of (positive) energy that can help to channel theirs. While I enjoy working with students of all ages up through their college years, there is a special place in my heart for working with younger students for whom learning is still a very new adventure.
English,

English

I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, improving their reading comprehension, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students over the years who needed to improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills, with great success. While it is sometimes easier to work with Spanish-speaking TESOL students (I am nearly fluent in Spanish), as well as French students (I communicate in French as well), I have worked with students from Indonesia, Iran, and Russia--whose languages I do not speak--and was able to help them polish their English-speaking skills as well.
Prealgebra,

Prealgebra

I have helped younger students prepare for standardized tests that require knowledge of basic math up through pre-algebra, and sometimes even rudimentary algebra, and though I mainly specialize in all language topics, my students who struggle with mathematical concepts always leave our lessons with a stronger understanding and learn various approaches on how to solve those problems.
Reading,

Reading

Reading comprehension is an essential component, perhaps *the* essential component, of every student's academic success. I believe it is crucial for students to not only develop good reading skills, but to learn to love to read as a way of life. I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, as well as improving their reading comprehension and fluency, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

I have been helping students with the reading (as well as writing) components of the SAT for over 15 years now. I help students find their own best way to work through the passages for comprehension and to glean the pertinent information to answer the questions to the best of their ability. While I never suggest shortcuts to continually working on vocabulary and reading everything in sight to help them with this section, I do help them speed up the process by finding the method that works best for each student, regarding how to approach the passages.. I emphasize a holistic method for preparing students for the SAT in general, but I also help them-- when limited in the amount of time before the exam-- navigate the reading sections for the best possible outcome based on their current command of language.
Spanish,

Spanish

I have been helping students of Spanish (all levels) for over 15 years as a tutor. Prior to that, I was a bilingual aide at an elementary school for several years and later worked as a bilingual substitute teacher for the LAUSD. I have an MA in Linguistics, and my second language proficiency (one of the requirements to achieve the Masters Degree) is in Spanish. Along with my studies, I also grew up around family members whose primary language was Spanish (my two eldest brothers' wives hail from Costa Rica). I have helped many students improve their grades--often dramatically--in their Spanish classes through my work with them. I believe my love for the language often rubs off on my students!
Study Skills,

Study Skills

I help students 'learn how to learn better', by helping them discover how to glean important material and to take productive notes for their reading assignments, through using study cards to highlight the most important and pertinent facts, developing outlines and/or summaries of important material, learning to execute judicious highlighting when allowed in the text, as well as helping them improve their reading comprehension techniques. I also work with them on time management, enabling students to devise a plan regarding the amount of time to allow on each subject per evening of homework or before upcoming tests, based on their abilities and workload, as well as the order of each deadline. One student I helped had both issues with his study skills as well as having a fairly severe case of ADHD. I would meet with him for an hour four times a week and would show him how to devise a plan regarding his homework and study schedule. I would also literally watch him do his homework (per his parents' request) even when it did not fall into one of my areas of expertise. Still, even when he would be doing, say, physics problems--a subject I know very little about--I would quiz him on what he was doing to keep him on track and it apparently helped him quite a bit in the course. The kind of help each student needs varies, but I find out which approach works best for each student, and what particular skills that student needs to perform at his or her best.
Writing,

Writing

I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, improving their reading comprehension, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
Spelling

Language

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students over the years who needed to improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills, with great success. While it is sometimes easier to work with Spanish-speaking TESOL students (I am nearly fluent in Spanish), as well as French students (I communicate in French as well), I have worked with students from Indonesia, Iran, and Russia--whose languages I do not speak--and was able to help them polish their English-speaking skills as well.
Spanish,

Spanish

I have been helping students of Spanish (all levels) for over 15 years as a tutor. Prior to that, I was a bilingual aide at an elementary school for several years and later worked as a bilingual substitute teacher for the LAUSD. I have an MA in Linguistics, and my second language proficiency (one of the requirements to achieve the Masters Degree) is in Spanish. Along with my studies, I also grew up around family members whose primary language was Spanish (my two eldest brothers' wives hail from Costa Rica). I have helped many students improve their grades--often dramatically--in their Spanish classes through my work with them. I believe my love for the language often rubs off on my students!
TOEFL

TOEFL

I have tutored quite a number of students who have come here from all over the world to help prepare them to take the TOEFL exam, and they all have felt much better prepared and have been successful in their test results for this very challenging exam. For most students, there was that one section that proved to be particularly challenging for them, whether it was the speaking or listening portions, or, often, the writing portions of the exam. We would then focus on that particular section of the exam while also working on an overall review of the material. All my TOEFL students came out much more confident and ready for the exam, and from those who contacted me afterwards, they had stellar results!

Math

Prealgebra

Prealgebra

I have helped younger students prepare for standardized tests that require knowledge of basic math up through pre-algebra, and sometimes even rudimentary algebra, and though I mainly specialize in all language topics, my students who struggle with mathematical concepts always leave our lessons with a stronger understanding and learn various approaches on how to solve those problems.

Most Popular

Elementary (K-6th),

Elementary (K-6th)

I have worked with K-6 students for nearly 13 years now as a tutor. Prior to this, I have been both a substitute teacher for K-6 in the L.A. Unified district and, even earlier, a bilingual aide for second- and third-graders in Grant Elementary School in Santa Monica. I have helped the youngest of my students (pre-K) grasp the fundamentals of learning their letters, numbers and colors, through helping students of all ages with their math skills, reading fluency and comprehension, writing skills, learning basic note-taking and study skills, along with all other matters related to elementary education. My main goal with younger students is to help them focus, and learn to enjoy the process of learning. I have also worked with many students of all ages who have problems focusing due to ADD or ADHD, and they seem to work very well with me, possibly due to the fact I have the kind of (positive) energy that can help to channel theirs. While I enjoy working with students of all ages up through their college years, there is a special place in my heart for working with younger students for whom learning is still a very new adventure.
English,

English

I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, improving their reading comprehension, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students over the years who needed to improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills, with great success. While it is sometimes easier to work with Spanish-speaking TESOL students (I am nearly fluent in Spanish), as well as French students (I communicate in French as well), I have worked with students from Indonesia, Iran, and Russia--whose languages I do not speak--and was able to help them polish their English-speaking skills as well.
Prealgebra,

Prealgebra

I have helped younger students prepare for standardized tests that require knowledge of basic math up through pre-algebra, and sometimes even rudimentary algebra, and though I mainly specialize in all language topics, my students who struggle with mathematical concepts always leave our lessons with a stronger understanding and learn various approaches on how to solve those problems.
Reading,

Reading

Reading comprehension is an essential component, perhaps *the* essential component, of every student's academic success. I believe it is crucial for students to not only develop good reading skills, but to learn to love to read as a way of life. I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, as well as improving their reading comprehension and fluency, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
Spanish,

Spanish

I have been helping students of Spanish (all levels) for over 15 years as a tutor. Prior to that, I was a bilingual aide at an elementary school for several years and later worked as a bilingual substitute teacher for the LAUSD. I have an MA in Linguistics, and my second language proficiency (one of the requirements to achieve the Masters Degree) is in Spanish. Along with my studies, I also grew up around family members whose primary language was Spanish (my two eldest brothers' wives hail from Costa Rica). I have helped many students improve their grades--often dramatically--in their Spanish classes through my work with them. I believe my love for the language often rubs off on my students!
Study Skills,

Study Skills

I help students 'learn how to learn better', by helping them discover how to glean important material and to take productive notes for their reading assignments, through using study cards to highlight the most important and pertinent facts, developing outlines and/or summaries of important material, learning to execute judicious highlighting when allowed in the text, as well as helping them improve their reading comprehension techniques. I also work with them on time management, enabling students to devise a plan regarding the amount of time to allow on each subject per evening of homework or before upcoming tests, based on their abilities and workload, as well as the order of each deadline. One student I helped had both issues with his study skills as well as having a fairly severe case of ADHD. I would meet with him for an hour four times a week and would show him how to devise a plan regarding his homework and study schedule. I would also literally watch him do his homework (per his parents' request) even when it did not fall into one of my areas of expertise. Still, even when he would be doing, say, physics problems--a subject I know very little about--I would quiz him on what he was doing to keep him on track and it apparently helped him quite a bit in the course. The kind of help each student needs varies, but I find out which approach works best for each student, and what particular skills that student needs to perform at his or her best.
Writing

Writing

I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, improving their reading comprehension, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.

Other

ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students over the years who needed to improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills, with great success. While it is sometimes easier to work with Spanish-speaking TESOL students (I am nearly fluent in Spanish), as well as French students (I communicate in French as well), I have worked with students from Indonesia, Iran, and Russia--whose languages I do not speak--and was able to help them polish their English-speaking skills as well.
Study Skills

Study Skills

I help students 'learn how to learn better', by helping them discover how to glean important material and to take productive notes for their reading assignments, through using study cards to highlight the most important and pertinent facts, developing outlines and/or summaries of important material, learning to execute judicious highlighting when allowed in the text, as well as helping them improve their reading comprehension techniques. I also work with them on time management, enabling students to devise a plan regarding the amount of time to allow on each subject per evening of homework or before upcoming tests, based on their abilities and workload, as well as the order of each deadline. One student I helped had both issues with his study skills as well as having a fairly severe case of ADHD. I would meet with him for an hour four times a week and would show him how to devise a plan regarding his homework and study schedule. I would also literally watch him do his homework (per his parents' request) even when it did not fall into one of my areas of expertise. Still, even when he would be doing, say, physics problems--a subject I know very little about--I would quiz him on what he was doing to keep him on track and it apparently helped him quite a bit in the course. The kind of help each student needs varies, but I find out which approach works best for each student, and what particular skills that student needs to perform at his or her best.

Science

ACT Science

Special Needs

ADHD,

ADHD

Students with ADD/ADHD have problems focusing on both their schoolwork and homework. I have found that by utilizing my own more energetic approach to tutoring, I have been successful over the years with both medicated and unmedicated ADD/ADHD students. Such students tend to respond to a dynamic tutor, one who keeps them moving at a pace that helps hold their interest in the project at hand. Often, I have found that by offering a bit more variety in the student's lesson, I can help the student to retain interest and focus to a greater degree. Over my 15 years of tutoring, I have helped many such students stay on track with their work, at least for the times we would be working together.
Phonics,

Phonics

I have worked with elementary students on language arts and phonics for over 10 years, helping young students find the connections between sights and sounds. I can help students move from combining individual letter sounds (phonemes) such as in 'cat' or 'dog', to consonant blends (where two consonants form a new sound together) such as in blend or chair. Eventually, the student begins to develop the confidence to sound out new words, with new phonetic combinations, all on his or her own. At that point, a new student begins begins their journey into the world of reading enjoyment.
Special Needs,

Special Needs

I have experience working with students who have certain educational challenges such as dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and mild processing disorders. While I was not specifically trained to work with special needs students, through my 16 years of tutoring, I have learned how to work with those students who may have some learning challenges but do not need to work exclusively with educational therapists and are, for the most part, mainstreamed into conventional schools.
Study Skills

Study Skills

I help students 'learn how to learn better', by helping them discover how to glean important material and to take productive notes for their reading assignments, through using study cards to highlight the most important and pertinent facts, developing outlines and/or summaries of important material, learning to execute judicious highlighting when allowed in the text, as well as helping them improve their reading comprehension techniques. I also work with them on time management, enabling students to devise a plan regarding the amount of time to allow on each subject per evening of homework or before upcoming tests, based on their abilities and workload, as well as the order of each deadline. One student I helped had both issues with his study skills as well as having a fairly severe case of ADHD. I would meet with him for an hour four times a week and would show him how to devise a plan regarding his homework and study schedule. I would also literally watch him do his homework (per his parents' request) even when it did not fall into one of my areas of expertise. Still, even when he would be doing, say, physics problems--a subject I know very little about--I would quiz him on what he was doing to keep him on track and it apparently helped him quite a bit in the course. The kind of help each student needs varies, but I find out which approach works best for each student, and what particular skills that student needs to perform at his or her best.

Summer

Elementary (K-6th),

Elementary (K-6th)

I have worked with K-6 students for nearly 13 years now as a tutor. Prior to this, I have been both a substitute teacher for K-6 in the L.A. Unified district and, even earlier, a bilingual aide for second- and third-graders in Grant Elementary School in Santa Monica. I have helped the youngest of my students (pre-K) grasp the fundamentals of learning their letters, numbers and colors, through helping students of all ages with their math skills, reading fluency and comprehension, writing skills, learning basic note-taking and study skills, along with all other matters related to elementary education. My main goal with younger students is to help them focus, and learn to enjoy the process of learning. I have also worked with many students of all ages who have problems focusing due to ADD or ADHD, and they seem to work very well with me, possibly due to the fact I have the kind of (positive) energy that can help to channel theirs. While I enjoy working with students of all ages up through their college years, there is a special place in my heart for working with younger students for whom learning is still a very new adventure.
ESL/ESOL,

ESL/ESOL

I have worked with TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students over the years who needed to improve their English reading, writing, and speaking skills, with great success. While it is sometimes easier to work with Spanish-speaking TESOL students (I am nearly fluent in Spanish), as well as French students (I communicate in French as well), I have worked with students from Indonesia, Iran, and Russia--whose languages I do not speak--and was able to help them polish their English-speaking skills as well.
Reading,

Reading

Reading comprehension is an essential component, perhaps *the* essential component, of every student's academic success. I believe it is crucial for students to not only develop good reading skills, but to learn to love to read as a way of life. I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, as well as improving their reading comprehension and fluency, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
Spanish,

Spanish

I have been helping students of Spanish (all levels) for over 15 years as a tutor. Prior to that, I was a bilingual aide at an elementary school for several years and later worked as a bilingual substitute teacher for the LAUSD. I have an MA in Linguistics, and my second language proficiency (one of the requirements to achieve the Masters Degree) is in Spanish. Along with my studies, I also grew up around family members whose primary language was Spanish (my two eldest brothers' wives hail from Costa Rica). I have helped many students improve their grades--often dramatically--in their Spanish classes through my work with them. I believe my love for the language often rubs off on my students!
Study Skills,

Study Skills

I help students 'learn how to learn better', by helping them discover how to glean important material and to take productive notes for their reading assignments, through using study cards to highlight the most important and pertinent facts, developing outlines and/or summaries of important material, learning to execute judicious highlighting when allowed in the text, as well as helping them improve their reading comprehension techniques. I also work with them on time management, enabling students to devise a plan regarding the amount of time to allow on each subject per evening of homework or before upcoming tests, based on their abilities and workload, as well as the order of each deadline. One student I helped had both issues with his study skills as well as having a fairly severe case of ADHD. I would meet with him for an hour four times a week and would show him how to devise a plan regarding his homework and study schedule. I would also literally watch him do his homework (per his parents' request) even when it did not fall into one of my areas of expertise. Still, even when he would be doing, say, physics problems--a subject I know very little about--I would quiz him on what he was doing to keep him on track and it apparently helped him quite a bit in the course. The kind of help each student needs varies, but I find out which approach works best for each student, and what particular skills that student needs to perform at his or her best.
Writing,

Writing

I help students with all manner of English skills, including developing and writing essays, learning how to self-edit their own writing, learning (or re-learning) grammar rules, improving their reading comprehension, and preparing for the reading and writing sections of any standardized test. Along with being a tutor for over 15 years, I am also a freelance writer, playwright, translator, and editor.
GED

Test Preparation

ACT English,

ACT English

I help students learn to recognize the errors in the long passages of the ACT English portion of the exam. They learn how to correct and improve grammar, style, sentence structure, diction, and organization issues. Since I also freelance as a writer, proofreader, and copy editor, I feel I can really help my students not only do well on finding the errors in those passages, but also to improve their own writing skills for the ACT essay. These are skills that, once learned, will enable the students to do well far beyond the immediate needs of this exam.
ACT Reading,

ACT Reading

I have been helping students with the reading section of the ACT for almost 10 years now. I help students find their own best way to work through the passages for comprehension and to glean the pertinent information to answer the questions to the best of their ability. As with the SAT, I emphasize a holistic method for preparing students for the ACT, including making sure the student does as much outside reading as possible for all the language portions of the exam, but I also help them-- when limited in the amount of time before the exam-- learn how best to navigate the reading sections for the best possible outcome based on their current command of language.
COOP/HSPT,

COOP/HSPT

The HSPT (High School Placement Test) and COOP (Cooperative Admissions Examination Program) are both used as entrance exams for Catholic and other private high schools. Both test mathematics, reading comprehension, and verbal skills. There are some variations in the kinds of verbal skills and reasoning required within each exam. Only the COOP tests Quantitative Skills that deal with non-formulaic mathematical reasoning. I have worked with students preparing to take the HSPT and COOP tests quite a number of times over the years, and though my main focus is on all the language-related sections of the exams, I have also helped students work their way through the math sections as well.
GRE,

GRE

I primarily help students with the analytical writing and verbal reasoning sections, on which I scored very highly on my own GRE. I specialize in writing and reading comprehension skills, and so can help students preparing for the GRE to a great extent on those sections. I can also help with the quantitative reasoning section in regards to how to approach most problems, but, again, my specialties lie in all language-related subject matter.
ISEE,

ISEE

I have worked with many students over the years, preparing them for the lower and middle level ISEE exams in all subjects, and with upper level students on all sections but math. Many students struggle with writing essays under the pressure of a time limit, and I help each student find his or her best strategy for formulating a well-developed essay. I show students how to get adept at finding the salient points in each reading comprehension passage, also allowing for those who are more at ease reading for content thoroughly first, versus those who may do better by skimming quickly, reading the questions next, and then returning to the passage to find the answers. As for the verbal reasoning, I have found many students struggle when trying to fit in two blanks in one sentence, often stumbling over a twist in the logic of the sentence. I show them how to look out for the key words indicating a change of position, say, from a positive perspective to a negative one, within the sentence. I also show them how to work with the synonym sections, by use of the process of elimination and working on enhancing their vocabularies. For the younger students, I also help with the quantitative reasoning and mathematics portions, and show them how to approach each problem with strategies that can also often turn the tougher problems into puzzles they can learn to enjoy solving. All the students I have helped have been very successful in achieving a sufficient or more than sufficient test score for their preferred schools.
PSAT,

PSAT

Along with helping students prepare for the SAT and ACT, I also help with the pre-SAT exam, the PSAT. I help a bit with math strategies, but I specialize in helping students with everything in the reading and writing sections. I have an MA in Linguistics, and helping students with language arts, grammar, writing skills, reading comprehension is one of my strengths. I also work on helping students learn to enjoy the testing process (as much as possible) because I always personally looked at testing as a fun challenge, and while that may not rub off completely on all students, I do often help them look at testing in a different light, and they tend to do better for it.
SAT Reading,

SAT Reading

I have been helping students with the reading (as well as writing) components of the SAT for over 15 years now. I help students find their own best way to work through the passages for comprehension and to glean the pertinent information to answer the questions to the best of their ability. While I never suggest shortcuts to continually working on vocabulary and reading everything in sight to help them with this section, I do help them speed up the process by finding the method that works best for each student, regarding how to approach the passages.. I emphasize a holistic method for preparing students for the SAT in general, but I also help them-- when limited in the amount of time before the exam-- navigate the reading sections for the best possible outcome based on their current command of language.
SAT Writing,

SAT Writing

I have helped students with the writing portion of the SAT, as well as the earlier SAT Writing Subject test for over 15 years. I help students refresh (or learn) all the grammar and style points necessary to work on Writing and Language section. I also help them to know how best to organize their material, develop their arguments, to pre-write, and to finally write the SAT essay. I help them review their previous essays, offering suggestions of both style and substance, and we discuss how they can improve their writing style, if necessary, or work on having subject material from history, literature, and their own personal experiences at their fingertips to utilize for content for the future essay. In short, I help put students much more at ease, with a stronger skills set, and give them as much confidence as possible so they can feel little to no anxiety in taking the SAT.
TOEFL,

TOEFL

I have tutored quite a number of students who have come here from all over the world to help prepare them to take the TOEFL exam, and they all have felt much better prepared and have been successful in their test results for this very challenging exam. For most students, there was that one section that proved to be particularly challenging for them, whether it was the speaking or listening portions, or, often, the writing portions of the exam. We would then focus on that particular section of the exam while also working on an overall review of the material. All my TOEFL students came out much more confident and ready for the exam, and from those who contacted me afterwards, they had stellar results!
ACT Science, GED, SSAT

Examples of Expertise

Carol Anne has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 8 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Ratings and Reviews

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Reviews

Very Knowledgeable and patient language arts tutor, we highly recommend Miss Carol Anne!

Carol Anne tutored our son in language arts for the HSPT high school entrance exam. In prior practice tests, my son already scored in the 98-99 range for Math and Quantitative sections. However, his Reading/Language Use sections were in the mid-80's range. Carol Anne worked with my son on spelling, reading, composition and language use sections of the exam, and offered strategies for reading passages to find errors or choose the best constructed sentence of the choices listed. My son final scores for all sections were all in 90th+ percentile range. I highly recommend the more targeted and skilled private tutoring offered by Carol Anne. My son will be taking Spanish placement tests for his new school in the Spring, and we will work with Carol Anne on that test prep too. Thank you for all the help and encouragement, Carol Anne!

Grace, 7 lessons with Carol Anne

Very nice and patient

My 16 year old daughter had her first tutoring session for Spanish 2. Carol Anne was very patient and knowledgeable and appreciate that she focused on helping with homework which was what we needed. Will definitely schedule another session.

Debbie , 4 lessons with Carol Anne

Excellent teacher

Carlo has been incredibly helpful in preparing my son for the ISEE upper level exam. Her expertise and dedication shine through in every session. She provides clear explanations, useful study materials, and tailored guidance that has boosted his confidence and performance. We highly recommend her for anyone looking to excel in their ISEE preparation.

Karen, 6 lessons with Carol Anne

I recommend our ISEE tutor for her exceptional experience and patience

Working with her has been a delightful experience for my child. She motivates my kid during the sessions and makes the learning process enjoyable. Her extensive knowledge of the subject matter and effective teaching techniques have significantly boosted my child's confidence and performance

Lin, 21 lessons with Carol Anne

Wonderful tutor!

Carol Anne is a wonderful tutor. She tutored our older daughter five years ago and she was so helpful to her that when our younger son needed help we reached right out to Carol Anne and fortunately she was available to help us again.

Katie, 80 lessons with Carol Anne

First lesson was great!

Carol Anne is very personable and made the lesson fun and engaging! I'm looking forward to more lessons. I love that she understands the nuances of different dialects and is willing to work through my personal needs in the workplace as opposed to a classroom. I would recommend her to anyone of any age wanting to learn Spanish.

Michelle, 1 lesson with Carol Anne

Knowledgeable and patient tutor!!!

Thank you very much, Carol, your way of teaching and your concern that I understand, fulfilled my needs. I recommend her one hundred percent, she is kind, punctual and it is easy to communicate with her. Thank you very much.

Alexa, 1 lesson with Carol Anne

Great English/writing tutor

Carol is tutoring my kid for English and writing for several months already. She always well prepares for each lesson and use the time effectively. She challenges my kid by bringing different levels of materials which covers writing, reading comprehension and vocabulary. The amount of homework she leaves weekly is reasonable and with quality. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a great English and writing tutor.

Kathy, 15 lessons with Carol Anne

Always thinking

I love how Carol considers different ways to approach the material, looking for the best way for Evan to retain the information. Thanks, Carol! We look forward to continuing to work with you.

Molly, 51 lessons with Carol Anne

Great tutor!

At the first session, Carol Anne was patient and knowledgeable. She is helping my son hone his writing skills. Looking forward to more lessons. Thank you!

Tamar, 17 lessons with Carol Anne
Hourly Rate: $60
Response time: 17 minutes
Contact Carol Anne