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Tutoring for PreK-5th grade students working to master reading, writing, spelling, and math.
Instilling Confidence in Young Readers & Writers
At Making A Difference, we are here to help your child gain the skills and confidence needed in his/her learning journey, while building a supportive relationship and navigating literacy and learning.
Welcome! We're glad you're here!
-Jill, Founder/Literacy Tutor
LETRS Certified, 2023 OG Certified,
MS Degree in Curriculum and Instruction
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After 30 years teaching in PreK-5th grade, I have decided to retire from public education. I continue to fill my life with the love that I have for learning and working with students/families. After teaching in the classroom for several years, I became a reading specialist and then a Literacy Coach.
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Every child deserves to love learning
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"Jill tutored Caleb for two years and helped him overcome his test anxiety."
"My son Caleb was struggling in elementary school with test anxiety. He would do so well in the classroom, but when taking any standardized test he would struggle. Caleb is now in middle school and he still talks about how Jill helped him."
- Michele E.
"She has been an amazing asset to our children's academic growth."
"We started with Miss Jill during the pandemic. Our daughter, who was newly diagnosed with ADHD, was struggling with learning. We have stayed loyal to Jill and Jill to us. We have since added our now second grade son to her services, purely because he loves learning. Simply stated, we love Miss Jill and we look forward to seeing her week after week."
-Tina S.
"Jill is absolutely fantastic, and we are so grateful that she is a part of our lives."
"Jill is a passionate teacher who truly enjoys kids and always has a sunny disposition with a serious but kind approach to learning activities. She shares supplemental activities and games to make everything fun and engaging."
- Jennifer C.
"Jill is incredibly clear and thoughtful about how she presents content to students."
“ She has a seamless way of sharing relevant information and experiences with students so they can contextualize content.
Her pace is consistent, and she offers multiple opportunities for students to make sense of the material as she supports them through a variety of compelling instructional strategies.”
- Dr. Jennifer
What does SoR, LETRS, and OG stand for?
SoR
(Science of Reading) refers to the growing body of scientific research that describes how the human brain learns to read, the skills kids need to develop to become proficient readers, and evidence-based methods of instruction. Through understanding the components of scientifically based, good reading instruction, teachers studying the science behind reading better understand how and why a student may struggle and are knowledgeable in differentiation methods to best meet the needs of all students.
LETRS
is the acronym for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. It is a comprehensive, professional learning program rooted in the science of reading (SoR). LETRS for educators is an investment in teachers' literacy knowledge and professional practice. Teachers gain essential skills to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction required to apply and transform student learning.
The Orton- Gillingham Approach (OG)
By teaching the phonograms and the rules and patterns that spell the vast majority of English words, the OG approach takes the guesswork out of reading and spelling. When a student has a working knowledge of the phonograms and their sounds, reading and spelling are much easier.
