Brooklyn Letters

1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn

4.9 56 reviews

Expert Handwriting Tutors for Elementary School Students in the NYC Metro Area

TESTIMONIALS

Barbara was absolutely fantastic with Lila, and we were very happy with her. Lila got accepted to her first choice, and we appreciated the help not only with her essay but also with general college questions Barbara was able to help her with.
Teena M.
McEdwin was a fantastic tutor. He and our son, a college freshman, worked well together, and his grades, as a result, have dramatically improved.
F. F.
Jacob tutored our son throughout his fifth and sixth grades. For our son, this was a time of increased academic demands and heightened anxiety, which exacerbated his language processing challenges. Jacob approached our son with sensitivity, compassion, and patience, which were greatly needed during this time. In addition to reinforcing essential academic content, Jacob provided flexible and effective study skill strategies—strategies that our son internalized and has continued to use independently! Jacob is an intelligent and knowledgeable educator who knows how to individualize his approach to his students to suit their specific needs and learning styles. He willingly communicates with school personnel and teachers to ensure continuity between his tutoring and students' classroom experiences. My son greatly benefited from this regular communication between professionals. I'd highly recommend Jacob to any child who needs individual and extra academic support!
Dana G.
My child worked with Gillian D. virtually for math enrichment. She is an excellent teacher. She took time to understand my child’s specific learning style and provided tools that would be engaging. She was kind and empathetic; she really made it her goal to connect with my child and build trust and rapport. My child started the school year with confidence and without the typical “brain drain” that occurs over the summer, thanks to Gillian.
Nicole May
I was referred to Themba Tutors to help my daughter strengthen her executive functioning skills. Craig was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He provided us with a few different tutors to meet in order to find the right fit. We’ve been working with McEdwin "Mackie," and he’s been wonderful. My daughter has worked with several tutors over the past 5 years, and Mackie is the first tutor she happily meets with. This is a huge win!
Kristin S.
This company is great at finding awesome learning specialists who work with kids of all ages and use multisensory techniques to help break down abstract concepts. My child needs help with math, and they were able to supply him with a top-notch math tutor who was able to really help my son improve. Not only is it hard to find qualified math learning specialists who work well with school-aged children, but they come to your home, which is a real godsend.
Mr. K. Kim
Themba Tutors provided a learning specialist that perfectly fits my daughter. I told them what we were looking for, and they delivered. Our tutor is responsive and flexible, and she makes it easy for my daughter to reach out to her on her own, which gives her an added sense of responsibility for her learning. As a therapist myself, I now regularly recommend Themba to my patients. A much-needed and well-provided service to the community!!
Fara Jones
I own a tutoring and educational consulting company myself. I called to ask for help with my daughter, who has sensory and ADHD-related issues. The woman on the phone was very honest with me and really guided me in the right direction. Most of the other companies I had called didn't seem to understand what a "multisensory" learning style means, which is fine, but I'm assuming they wouldn't understand my daughter's learning needs. I wound up getting better services through my daughter's school, but I'd recommend Themba to any parent with a child with special education needs.
Michelle, Park Slope Tutoring
Having been through the SAT/ACT tutoring process before with my older daughter, I knew we'd need something less conventional and more tailor-made for my son—someone who could adjust and meet the needs of his specific learning needs. My son has ADHD and easily becomes overwhelmed and anxious with regard to test-taking. After his first tutoring session with Dr. Brooke, we knew it was a "good fit." She was able to quickly develop a great working rapport with my son. She understood that he needed to be "gently" challenged, praised, and continually encouraged to keep him from becoming overly frustrated. His original PSAT score was 26. Dr. Brooke helped him bring his ACT score up to 31. We can't thank her enough!
Hilary V.
My son has been working with Jeffrey for math tutoring with brilliant results. Jeffrey helped reinforce the lessons from class, helping him build confidence and perseverance. Jeffrey worked diligently to prepare for each session by making sure he was aware of what material my son was covering each week. Jeffrey would arrive for sessions with problem sheets they could work from to strengthen his skills. He was always very patient, reassuring, and encouraging. At the same time, he pushed Oliver toward mastery of the material. In six months, my son began to see himself as a capable, successful math student.
Sara Baysinger
I thought Paul was terrific, and our son did too! Paul was particularly helpful in the math section of the ACT and math in general. Paul had an amazing rapport with our son, and that made the twice-weekly commitment for tutoring fine for our son, which is really important. We highly recommend Paul!
Martha P.
We were very impressed with Anthony's calmness and resilience in the face of a daunting task—helping our daughter with math! He engaged her in creative and engaging ways to try and get across the challenging concepts of her homework and test prep. He really cared and made a lot of effort to work with our 11-year-old.
Emily R.
My daughter, a freshman in a public high school, was struggling in math. I got in touch with Blythe at Themba, and she managed to have a wonderful math tutor come to my home the following day. She stayed much longer than the required time to make sure that my daughter understood all the concepts. She also followed up with us and asked if we had any other questions that she could help with. As a parent, it is a relief to know that you can secure a tutor very quickly who comes straight to your home. A great experience!
Tiphaine M.
I have currently secured two excellent Themba Tutors for my son, a junior in an NYC high school. My son really enjoys working with these tutors, Matt and Anthony. He finds their methods clear and inspiring. Matt works with my son on college entrance test preparation (ACT and SAT), and Anthony works with my son on written expression, executive functioning, and attention skills.
Kristina K.
Matt tutored my son for the SAT and ACT this fall. We liked his positive approach to helping us learn the necessary testing skills. He is friendly and thoughtful and points out strengths while emphasizing areas that need extra work. Thank you for sending him to us!
Colleen Donohue
Our son started in a new high school, 100% remote, and was really struggling with Latin and Physics. I found Themba Tudors online and had an initial call with Craig, who was very knowledgeable and responsive and found two amazing tutors for us. Both the Latin and the physics tutors were fantastic; they connected with my son really well and helped him go from a ‘failing’ grade to an "honors" grade! I will for sure continue using (and recommending!) Themba Tutors. Thank you, C, K, and W!
Carolina L.
Themba Tutors was recommended to us by a therapist I used to evaluate my daughter, a 7th grader in a public school in Manhattan, for possible learning disabilities related to math. She needed help with strategies for completing homework and keeping skills up to date, as well as some remedial work to get her where she should be. especially with the challenging Common Core curriculum. My daughter had used a few tutors in the past, but none of them were as effective as Matt's. Matt has a very kind way about him, and his genuine concern for my daughter's progress was apparent. He was able to focus her attention for the full sessions without her feeling stressed or overwhelmed. He adjusted the agenda to accommodate problem areas that arose and to address extra last-minute material that needed to be reviewed for upcoming tests. Her final report card reflected a 90 for the school year. We couldn't have been more thrilled! Matt has a real gift for teaching that significantly contributed to her getting on track. Thank you for recommending Matt!
Mary Rose

Video Testimonials

Check out This List of Schools our Students Have Attended

Our Clients Attended These Schools

😁 Meet our CEO! 😁

Check out our Staff!

PETER W.

M.S., Ph.D. Literacy Specialist, Writing Coach

SAMANTHA

M.A. in Literacy Instruction, M.A. in Educational Leadership

CAROLYN

New York State Certified Special Education Teacher, Social Studies Teacher, and Literacy Specialist

MARIA

M.S. in Bilingual, Childhood and Special Education & Ed.M in Language and Literacy

REMY S.

M.S., Orton-Gillingham Literacy Specialist

LYNSEY

M.S. Literacy

LATOYA

Special Education Teacher

MELISSA S.

Ph.D. Candidate in School Psychology, Master’s in Special Education

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**Guarantee: It’s critical that whoever receives our tutoring services connects with the specialist, the specialist has expertise in the area of need, and is available to travel to you. If you are not 100% satisfied with our services, such as handwriting tutor near me, we are 100% committed to finding you the right handwriting teacher near me and math tutor Santa Monica.

What Is the Difference Between Handwriting vs. Keyboarding?

At a time when technology is a part of everyday life, computers and other electronic devices have become important learning tools. Students today spend more time online and in front of screens, whether to attend classes or conduct research for their schoolwork. Most school papers and homework are also done and submitted electronically, which makes keyboarding instruction for elementary school students necessary. But as much as it’s hard to imagine learning without the help of technology, doing away with handwriting lessons in favor of keyboarding instruction can negatively impact literacy development in young students.

According to research, proper reading development is strongly linked to letter-naming and letter-writing. This is because the hand and the neural circuitry of the brain are inextricably linked. When students master writing letters and grasp the features of each, they also learn to recognize them more accurately. This letter identification leads to increased writing fluency, which then improves their reading skills.

Why is Handwriting Important?

Why is Handwriting Tutoring Important?

Aside from its practical use in our daily lives—writing grocery lists, greeting cards, and filling out forms—being able to write clearly and legibly is an important aspect of language, literacy, and even mathematics.

While a significant portion of schoolwork is now done online or electronically, written exams still make up a significant chunk of tests and evaluations across various subjects. When a student is able to write comfortably, legibly, and at a reasonable pace, he or she can organize his or her thoughts better and produce more meaningful content.

Furthermore, the handwriting process has been shown to positively impact one’s concentration and engagement. Other benefits of handwriting include:

Improved memory – Studies show that students learn and retain information better when handwriting ideas instead of typing.

Letter mastery – Handwriting allows students to physically interact with letters, which helps them remember letters and its associated sounds better. Handwriting is both a tactile and a visual experience, which are key in young learners’ literacy acquisition.

Fully formed thoughts – Speed is key when typing, whereas handwriting is a slower, more intimate process. Handwriting allows us to slow down, breathe, and form our thoughts fully before putting them into paper.

Improves focus – Effortless and legible writing frees you from worrying about whether your work can be understood by your readers. Hence, you are able to concentrate more on accomplishing your writing task.

Highlights one’s uniqueness – Your handwriting is unique to you, and some say that you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their handwriting. Being able to write legibly is equivalent to making a clear statement with your own unique voice.

What Are the Benefits of Learning Cursive Writing?

First-grade students were typically taught manuscript or print writing in the past, while cursive writing was commonly introduced in the third grade. It was often argued that cursive writing is superior to print, especially for children with difficulties such as dyslexia and dysgraphia. It results in fewer letter reversals and better spelling because words are visualized as one unit as opposed to being separated by different strokes.

On the other hand, experts have also pointed out the importance of having children focus on the writing form used in their reading materials, which is print. But whether or not one form is easier to learn than the other, what is more important is that students become adept at using one way of writing to produce clear and legible writing with minimal or reasonable effort. Hence, instruction should focus on the form that is most likely to produce this result, particularly for older children who struggle with handwriting.

As far as cursive writing is concerned, instructors often stress its importance because of its many advantages over print. It is a more natural way of writing; cursive writing is not often interrupted by stops or by lifting the pencil.

Other advantages of writing in cursive include:

Enhances neural connections – Cursive writing engages both the right and left hemisphere of the brain.
Improves reading ability – Children who can read and write in cursive can also read print or manuscript, but the reverse is not true.
Better fine motor abilities – Cursive writing helps the student practice fine motor skills as he or she learns to produce smooth strokes.

Handwriting Worksheets

How Can Themba Tutors’ Handwriting Tutors Help?

Our handwriting tutors specialize in individualized handwriting tutoring for elementary school students. Our handwriting instruction is tailored to meet the needs of your child and addresses key areas that need extra reinforcement. Themba Tutors’ handwriting tutors utilize the Handwriting Without Tears® curriculum, which uses multisensory strategies to teach handwriting to students in Pre-K onwards.

Themba Tutors’ highly qualified handwriting tutors are experts in their respective fields and have completed comprehensive training and certifications. Our professional handwriting tutors can help your child with:

Correcting letter and number reversals
Proper pencil grip
Manuscript/print control
Letter and number size
Letter and number formation
Writing posture
Letter and word spacing
Cursive and manuscript writing

What Will Students Learn?

Preschool

Letter and number recognition, correct pencil grip, pre-writing strokes, distinguishing between left and right, sketching.

Grades K-2

Letter recognition and usage, letter and number formation, word spacing, pencil grip, writing on a page.

Grades 3+

Letter formation, size, and placement; cursive letters and connections; distance between phrases and words; pencil grip and handling.

Some studies show that children who learn to write by hand also learn to read faster and tend to be more creative. Hence, the earlier children receive handwriting instruction, the more likely they’re going to excel in all subject areas at school. At Themba Tutors, our handwriting tutors use fun, engaging, and progressive techniques in teaching young students to write by hand. Whether you prefer in-person or online tutoring, our one-on-one handwriting tutor and literacy specialist can help your child develop and master their handwriting skills.

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Tutoring, Coaching, Learning Specialists, Academic Tutors Services

We have expertise in:

Students of all ages receive one-on-one tutoring in all instructional materials, test preparation, and executive function coaching as required. At Themba Tutors, we take the time to help students/clients understand their strengths and progress in areas where they need to improve. We offer personalized tools for each of our clients to help them become more aware of their individual needs as they work towards short-term goals. Improving these skills will benefit our students’/clients’ long-term plans.