Highly Qualified Educator With Over 40 Years of Experience
"I'm pleased to inform you that in 2019, you were one of the top 10% of over 17,500 tutors who had lessons on Wyzant! It's a competitive world out there, and life as a tutor is no different. Yet through hard work, talent, and commitment to your students, you rose to the top of the heap. Well done."
Profile
I have a master’s from Stanford University in Educational Communication and another master’s from Rutgers University in Educational Psychology. My major for the latter master’s was cognitive processes and language development. I have graduate credits in the information processes approach to cognition (reading and perceptive processes) and dyslexia. I received my certification through the Dyslexia Training Institute, and my graduate credits in dyslexia courses are from the University of San Diego.
Studies have shown that dyslexia is a specific learning disability that has a neurological basis. A dyslexic child is born that way. The brain is plastic, however, and it can change with the right approach and the right teacher. Thus, the brain of a dyslexic person will eventually develop the neural pathways necessary for them to become a good reader. This is accomplished regardless of the severity of the condition and/or the person’s age. Even dyslexic adults can develop these pathways after sustained instruction.
I have more than 30 years of experience tutoring one-on-one and teaching large and small groups at all levels, from elementary school to college. I specialize in tutoring dyslexic children. If your child is dyslexic, he/she may be very intelligent, but his/her dyslexia has been preventing them from achieving their full potential. Don’t let that continue to happen.
I have experience teaching and tutoring elementary through high-school dyslexic children in English, although since I am bilingual, I can speak to my students in either English or Spanish. I use a multisensory approach. I teach by using fun games, and I develop online vocabulary and spelling drills. My students actively participate in their own learning. Most of all, I use plenty of positive praise and rewards, so that their self-esteem is greatly improved as well.
As an educational psychologist, I use a variety of techniques and tailor programs to suit the student's needs, learning style, and level of proficiency. I have had great success teaching dyslexic students of all ages, and helping them prepare for standardized tests such as the STAAR and the SAT.
I use a variety of techniques tailored to the student's learning style and level of proficiency. My students have always achieved excellent results in a short period of time. I use online games, app exercises, and other entertaining games to facilitate learning the skills that have become so vital in today’s globalized world.
I use the Orton-Gillingham approach and the Barton System for Spelling and Writing. These are evidenced-based, systematic, sequential, cumulative, explicit, and multisensory systems that have extensively proven to be successful.
I will first conduct an assessment of your child, at no cost to you. This will allow me to find out the level your child is in, and if there are any trouble spots on which to work. I also do this to find out if you, the child, and I are a good fit. Part of this assessment is meant to see if your child has pre-reading phonemic awareness skills. If he/she doesn’t, I would use the Foundations in Sounds program, which is a precursor to any of the other programs. It is a pre-reading program that develops the necessary skills of discrimination, memory, and sequencing of sounds.
I love what I do. I teach because, to me, teaching is a learning process in which all involved are transformed and become better human beings.
Education
College: Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey
Masters: Communications Stanford University
Masters: Rutgers University
Certification: University of San Diego/Dyslexia Training Institute
Hourly Rate: $75.00
Rate Details: If you take more than 2 hours a week, my rate goes down to $70.00/hour for 3 hours and $65.00/hour for 4
Travel Policy: Within 3 miles of Austin, Texas, 78705
Lesson Cancellation: 24-hour notice required
Background check passed on 4/21/2021
Qualifications for Dyslexia
I have a master’s from Stanford University in Educational Communication and another master’s from Rutgers University in Educational Psychology. My major for the latter master’s was cognitive processes and language development. I have graduate credits in the information processes approach to cognition (reading and perceptive processes) and dyslexia. I received training from the Dyslexia Training Institute and graduate credits in dyslexia courses from the University of San Diego. I have more than 30 years of experience teaching in the classroom and tutoring one-to-one.
I specialize in tutoring dyslexic children and children who struggle with reading. I tutor reading dyslexic students of all ages and grade levels. I prepare students for standardized reading tests such as STAAR, PSAT, SAT, and ACT.
I use the Orton-Gillingham approach, the Barton System for Spelling and Writing, and the Wilson Reading System. These are evidenced-based, systematic, sequential, cumulative, explicit, and multisensory systems that have extensively proven to be successful.
I will first conduct an assessment of your child, at no cost to you. This will allow me to find out the level your child is in, and if there are any trouble spots on which to work. I also do this to find out if you, the child, and I are a good fit. Part of this assessment is meant to see if your child has pre-reading phonemic awareness skills. If he/she doesn’t, I would use the Foundations in Sounds program, which is a precursor to any of the other programs. It is a pre-reading program that develops the necessary skills of discrimination, memory, and sequencing of sounds.
What I teach is a progression of the following basic components of reading:
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonological Awareness
- Phonics Rules
- Spelling Rules
- Sight/Rote Words (non-phonetic words)
- Fluency
Identifying individual sounds in words, repeating sequences of sounds, among other tasks
Identifying a group of sounds, as in rhyming and dividing words into syllables
The rules of phonemes (sounds), and graphemes (letters) by which the written English language is constructed
The rules by which the language is written
Words that do not follow any rules, as in “done” or “every”
Mastering each stage in the above succession will contribute to attaining fluency.
Nevertheless, fluency requires specific teaching techniques of its own.
The time it takes to succeed depends on the child and the number of hours tutored. Research has shown it normally takes 80-100 hours of teaching for a student to advance one grade level. My students usually take less time to make the same progress.
Testimonials
Beyond My Expectations!!!
Alicia has been tutoring my 9-year-old daughter for the entire school year. My daughter has dyslexia and had been struggling. The school system helped, but I knew my daughter needed something more. When I first met Alicia, she was kind and welcoming. She assessed my daughter to understand her actual needs. She developed and tailored an education pathway that was best suited for my daughter. She also educated me on dyslexia and what to expect when I hit roadblocks with homework and 504 planning. Alicia is highly knowledgeable and skilled when it came to the needs of my daughter. She is patient and fun. My daughter has gained so much self-confidence in her abilities in school thanks to the guidance and tutoring Alicia has provided. I’ve even decided to continue tutoring over the summer for my daughter to maintain and strengthen her skill set. If anyone is looking for a tutor for themselves or a child, I highly recommend Alicia. Her knowledge and dedication to success have been proven with the wonders she has brought to my family. I will never be able to thank her enough for her life-changing contribution to my daughter.
Shannon
Knowledgeable And Patient Tutor
My son was 7 years old at the time, I chose Ms. Alicia to tutor him as he is dyslexic. My son could not spell or read and had problems with sounds and rapid name recalling when Ms. Alicia started working with him. Now, he can spell and recall sounds and letters, when in the beginning he could not do those things. Ms. Alicia is an excellent tutor. She teaches your child in a way that keeps them engaged, and it is fun. At times, I would even participate in the teaching, so that I could reinforce the teaching to my son over the holidays. She is a very patient and knowledgeable tutor. If you want results, choose Ms. Alicia. I guarantee you will see a difference in your child.
Roslyn
A Knowledgeable Partner
We have an elementary school-aged dyslexic and have partnered with Alicia for over a year to help our child develop skills and strategies to cope with the learning difference. She has been generous with her knowledge, helping us and the teachers learn how to best teach and encourage our dyslexic. She seems to take great joy in her work and demonstrates genuine pride when milestones are achieved, and we love her celebrations (an in-person visit on a weekend day to say congratulations on finishing a unit, a personalized gift, and notes of encouragement).
Keesha
Thank You, Alicia
Sean is dyslexic, but he has made great in-roads with you being a weekly tutor. The support Alicia gave him was needed, and my husband and I saw progress. In May 2016, he scored a 1.3 reading level at the Sylvan Learning Center, and now he is at a 3.3-3.4 reading level. Again, thank you and BEST WISHES!!!!
Betty
Great Tutor
Alicia has been a great help to my dyslexic daughter who is going to 6th grade and had difficulties with reading and writing. She has improved tremendously, and she passed her STAAR test. Alicia has been very patient with my daughter. They have been working together for over a year. She's just an awesome tutor.
Daniela
Effective Dyslexia Tutor
Ms. Alicia is providing effective phonemic awareness and phonics instruction to our grandson. He is noticing, thinking about, and working with sounds in the spoken language. This systematic and explicit phonics instruction is making a contribution to his growth in reading. He looks forward to tutoring sessions with Ms. Alicia.
Betty
Great Tutor
Miss. Alicia is a great teacher. She is very patient and makes learning fun for the kids. I hired her to teach English writing skills to my daughter, who was in 4th Grade. She always comes on time, gives homework, and checks her work in the next class. My daughter called her after hours if she had any questions, and she was always there for her to answer her questions. She encourages kids to get good grades with prizes. Finally, my daughter’s STAAR results have come, and she scored 100 percent. I highly recommend Miss Alicia.
Aparna
Thank You
Hi Alicia, wanted to let you know that TJ did an awesome job on the ACT. He scored a 30 in English!!! 92% national rank. He was awarded and recognized on the state and national level for his outstanding performance. He said working with you really helped. Thank you for working with him. Hope you have a great summer!
Rosalind - Mon, Jun 20, 2016
I am so thankful for your patience with me and your help. I feel extremely confident that when I take the TEXES test next, I will pass it. Thank you again for all of your time and efforts!