Brooklyn Letters

1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn

Expert At-Home Literature Tutors with Free Consultations in the NYC Metro Area

PERSONALIZED AT-HOME LITERATURE TUTORING SERVICES FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS | FREE CONSULTATIONS. PRIVATE PAY TRAVELING TO YOUR NYC Metro Area Home.

New York City (NYC) Manhattan Brooklyn Queens Staten Island Bronx Long Island (including the Hamptons) Westchester New Jersey (NJ) Connecticut (CT)

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

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.

😁 Meet our CEO! 😁

VICTORIA

Masters in English Language Arts

ASHLYN

M.A. in Middle School English

FOTINI

Master’s Degree in Secondary Education for English

KAYLA

M.S.E.D. in Teaching Urban Adolescents with Disabilities with a Bilingual Extension

MICHELLE P.

Master’s in Special Education, Second Master’s in Educational Leadership, Bachelor’s in Communications and Psychology

LEE

Academic Intervention Specialist, BA Majored in English Literature and Minored in Public Policy and Law

MELISSA S.

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

BRIAN F.

M.S. in Education

Check out our Staff!

**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, we are 100% committed to finding you the right professional.

How Can a Literature Tutor Help?

For some students, studying English literature is challenging because it is difficult for them to relate and feel connected to these literary works. But while we may not always be able to draw parallels between these stories and our own experiences, literature allows us to see how different situations and events impact a person. Studying literature and understanding these stories also help us pinpoint underlying themes and understand different characters and scenarios. This is crucial as we try to gain better understanding and empathy for the people around us. This, too, is what a literature tutor aims to help develop in students.

With the help of a literature tutor, literature can also help students improve their vocabulary, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. These skills are all essential not only to one’s academic success but also in their personal and professional lives later on.

At Themba Tutors, we are committed to helping students succeed in their literature classes and achieve their academic goals. But most importantly, our literature tutors hope to instill a genuine love for literature in the students that we teach.

If you are looking for a High school & College Literature Tutors to help your child succeed in school, then we are here to help. Themba Tutors provides personalized, 1:1 private online and in-home literature tutoring for students in high school and college. Our literature tutors are committed to help your child gain a better understanding and deeper appreciation for literature—from classic novels to contemporary poetry.

Our Themba Tutors’ Literature Tutor will:

Establish strengths, weaknesses, and areas of needs by getting to know your child
Tailor literature lessons according to your child’s needs
Create lesson plans that are designed to maximize your child’s time and interests
Help maintain your child’s motivation so they stay focused and engaged on the material
Create exercises to help improve their vocabulary
Help improve reading comprehension
Guide your child in identifying elements of literature, such as underlying themes, the motivations and points of view of the characters, figures of speech, imagery, and the author’s style, to name a few.
Work on assigned reading materials and guide your child in literature analysis, criticism, and comprehension
Discuss and critique literary works with your child
And more!

What Is Literature?

Our learning specialists and academic tutors provide 1:1 individualized literature tutoring for high school and college students.

When we talk about literature, what often comes to mind are literary works such as poetry, short stories, and classic novels. But in its simplest and broadest sense, literature refers to any type of written work. It comes from the Latin word litaritura or litteratura, which simply translates to “writing formed with letters.” The definition of literature may also sometimes extend to textual work that are spoken, sung, or performed, such as hymns, songs, and spoken word poetry.

GET A TUTOR NOW

5 BOOKS EVERY STUDENT SHOULD READ THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

What Are Literary Works?

Poetry, short stories, fiction, and nonfiction novels, and other creative compositions are all considered literary works. But going by its very definition, literature can also refer to academic papers (theses, dissertations), marketing and advertising materials (brochures, catalogs), reference books, and even computer programs and databases. Literary works may also sometimes extend to written compositions that are sung, performed, or spoken and can also include unpublished work.

Little woman turns the page of large book, desert valley, blue sky with clouds on background, scale effect. Gaining knowledge and education, reading concept.

What Are Examples of Literary Works?

Fiction
Nonfiction
Manuscripts
Poetry
Contributions to collective works
Compilations of data or other literary subject matter
Dissertations
Theses
Reports
Speeches
Bound or loose-leaf volumes
Secure tests
Pamphlets

Brochures
Textbooks
Online works
Reference works
Directories
Catalogs
Advertising copy
Single pages of text
Tracts
Games
Automated databases
Computer programs

Learn, study and inspect literature - pictured as a magnifying glass enlarging word literature, symbolizes researching, exploring and analyzing meaning of literature, 3d illustration

What Are the Seven Elements of Literature?

Plot

The plot of a movie, story or other work of literature is the chain of events that move the narrative and the characters. These events are connected and have a cause-and-effect relationship. A plot must have a structure, which consists of:

Exposition – Characters and the beginning of conflict are introduced.
Rising action – The story escalates and is set in motion by a series of events.
Climax – The peak of the story or where the series of events have been building up to.
Falling action – Subplots and smaller conflicts are resolved.
Denouement – The final part where plot elements are drawn together and conflicts are explained or resolved.

Being able to identify the narrative structure is important when analyzing and critiquing any piece of literature. A literature tutor can help your child through this process by discussing the material and its parts and providing guide questions.

Setting

The setting serves as the backdrop or the time and geographical story where the story takes place. It can be a fictional world, all-encompassing (a school, a farm, a Florida beach), or more intimate (inside a car, a dive bar, or a jail cell). When establishing the backdrop of a story, it’s important to make the reader have an accurate visualization of the place, particularly when the setting plays a key role in the narrative. Hence, the setting also includes the landscape, weather or climate, the time of day, and the social and cultural characteristics of a place. In many instances, the setting plays a crucial aspect in the story that it becomes almost like a character itself. Your child can glean the importance of a narrative’s setting as he or she discusses the material with a literature tutor.

Point-of-view

Point of view refers to the narrative voice used to tell the story. It is the character’s perspective on how the story unfolds or is told by the writer. A story’s point of view may be written in the first person, third person, and very rarely, second person.

Style

Successful writers have a distinct style that they develop over time. It includes their word choice, the way they structure and arrange their sentences, the type of language they use, and the way they describe scenes or establish mood. Some writers have styles that are so unique that readers immediately know who wrote the story or novel without even checking to see the author’s name. A literature tutor can provide your child with examples of literary works from authors with distinct styles.

Theme

When writing a story, it is the plot that sets the narrative in motion. But every narrative has an underlying theme that is explored as the story progresses through its plots and subplots, characters, setting, or dialogue. Through this exploration of the theme, a writer may choose to inject his or her own opinion through the characters or the way the story is concluded. Or, the author can leave it to the readers to decide and form their own thoughts on the theme. For the most part, an effective theme must invite discussion and analysis from its readers. When working with a literature tutor, your child can gain a better understanding of the text and be guided in identifying underlying and general themes.

Literary Devices

Literary devices are the tools used by a writer to make to create an engaging story, carve his or her own style, and guide the readers through the narrative. A literature tutor can help your child identify these literary devices in the materials they are reading. Some examples of literary devices that we often see in literary works are:

personification
alliteration
simile
metaphor
symbolism
irony
foreshadowing
allusions, to name a few.

High School Reading Comprehension Strategies

Why Is Literature Important?

Whether it’s a poem, short story, novel, or any literary piece, literature is a reflection of human life. It captures the social, political, cultural, and personal struggles and triumphs of a certain time. In a way, literature is a historical account, wherein future generations can glean and learn about life from a time long past.

Literature exposes us and allows us to understand different perspectives and mindsets.

While we mostly view literature as a form of entertainment, it also allows us to immerse ourselves in scenarios and perspectives that may be foreign to us. By understanding the unfamiliar, we get to know ourselves and the world around us more.

Literature opens our minds and encourages empathy.

By following the journey of a story’s characters, we learn to open our mind to another person’s struggle and develop empathy. Regardless of a character’s background, being immersed in their story gives us a connection that translates into the real world, where we begin to understand people regardless of their country, race, culture, religion, or political convictions.

Literature allows us to escape and imagine possibilities.

Because reading is so immersive, a good piece of literature can transport us to worlds beyond our imaginings. It is not only a form of entertainment but a way for us to explore and dream of possibilities that may not always be attainable in the real world.

GET A TUTOR NOW