Brooklyn Letters IconBrooklyn Letters

1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn

4.9 56 reviews

  • Avatar Emily Matles ★★★★★ a week ago
    We would highly recommend Ally! Our son always asks about her, so very thankful to Brooklyn Letters for introducing us.
    ~ Emily, mom of Brooklyn 2 year old
  • Avatar Natalie Levon ★★★★★ 4 months ago
    Nicole has been an amazing therapist!! She played a tremendous role in our daughter’s speech progress and overall development. She has come such a long way and we are so happy with the therapy she received!
  • Avatar T Ainsley ★★★★★ 5 months ago
    I cannot express how grateful and rewarding my experience with Brooklyn Letters has been. Her tutor Ms. Daria is so knowledgeable, amazing, kind and awesome. My daughter has made so much progress in Literacy and Math and it's all … More thanks to Ms. Daria. I know my daughter is sad that she can no longer work with Ms. Daria, as she looked forward to their sessions every week. Thank you again!
  • Avatar Jackie Vasquez ★★★★★ 5 months ago
    Excellent services, caring therapists.
  • Avatar Lil Amatore ★★★★★ 8 months ago
    Christina was absolutely wonderful. She went out of her way to win my son over and it worked. He looked forward to her visits and his speech improved so much under her care. She was super flexible and it’s clear she truly cares. We adore … More Christina and we’re going to miss her. Almost sad he improved so much! She’s simply amazing and we can’t say enough how great she is. I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone, without hesitation. Thank you so much for connecting us with her!
  • Avatar Colin Peters ★★★★★ 6 months ago
    We could not be happier with the services Valerie provided! She is very thoughtful and knowledgeable and provided significant guidance to support our daughter's speech development outside of our scheduled sessions. She established … More a great working relationship with her, and she will definitely be missed! Your business model is amazing and it was an absolute pleasure working with Valerie. I've referred your organization and Valerie to the Executive Director of our daughter's school and friends/colleagues who are in need of speech therapy services.
  • Avatar Heather Liljengren ★★★★★ a year ago
    We cannot say enough good things about Effie, the ASL teacher, who was so engaged and effective with our 2 year old daughter from the very first session! Effie gladly included our whole family in the sessions! Her expertise and fantastic … More personality gave our daughter a way to communicate that she was so desperately seeking. The coordinators at Brooklyn Letters were so helpful and communicative…I would highly recommend their services!
  • Avatar Chris duke Fields ★★★★★ a month ago
    The company is great with outstanding customer service. They keep my horses protected. I have recommended them to other horses trainers as well that are going to get service early next year. Very professional an honest too. Respectfully … More submitted Christopher
  • Avatar Nikhil Jaisinghani ★★★★★ 5 months ago
    Ron and Ken did a fantastic job with our security system today. Installed everything very quick. Both of them were very polite and asked us throughout if the installation met our needs. Simply fantastic!
  • Avatar Linda Parsley ★★★★★ 6 months ago
    I called Cornerstone Protection to get a Security system at a relatives out of state property, within a week it was installed! The installers worked with the client to help understand her new system and she was happy! Our relative said … More they were courteous, professional and patient! I highly recommend Cornerstone Protection for all of your security needs!
  • Avatar Amanda Clay Mackin ★★★★★ 5 months ago
    Had blink cameras; Car was broken into multiple times so I called CornerStone & they were able to install multiple cameras very quickly & for a reasonable price. I am so happy with the app & getting alerts that are not superfluous, … More like they were with Blink. Highly recommend CornerStone & the tech Ronnie.
  • Avatar Pete Peters ★★★★★ 4 months ago
    Ron and Ken are great guys to work with.
    Both were very knowledgeable and got our system back up and running.
    Thanks to both for a job well done...
  • Avatar Brigid Bower ★★★★★ 11 months ago
    Samantha Dalmas was fantastic! We saw her for a feeding therapy evaluation and while she doesn’t think my daughter needs more feeding therapy sessions at this time, but she gave me lots of tips to try. If my daughter's doctors want … More to see more progress at her next appointment, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha again.
  • Avatar Larry Barton ★★★★★ a year ago
    Amazing assistance provided by Shannon today on my security system. I’m so grateful for your prompt, efficient, professional, and courteous service. Put me down as a customer for life!
  • Avatar Megan Haller ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    One of the most painless experiences I've had. They came on time and was over the moon professional with still keeping a level of personability to it. The gentleman also went out of his way to say that my husband and Mines business … More was appreciated. Which is actually rare to be appreciated by such a great company. So thank you and we look forward to continuing services with this company.
  • Avatar Megan Magsam ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    I am so happy we decided to go with cornerstone. They were quick and efficient. Shannon and the installer we very friendly. We got a lot of equipment and it was still within our budget. 10/10 would definitely recommend! Thank you
  • Avatar Collins Youngblood ★★★★★ a year ago
    Love the customer service and Shanon and his team go above and beyond for my restaurant. Couldn't of asked for a better security system and level of service that his team provides.
  • Avatar kanu patel ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    I have been using Cornerstone Protection service for over 5 years and I'm really happy with the service and state-of-the-art equipments and it's futures are so much in advance and friendly, I highly recommend Cornerstone Protection … More Service any and all business that need a security protection days and nights specially after business hours(Cornerstone Protection is perfect solution for your business). Owner of Cornerstone Protection is proactive with their customers and their equipments. Good experienced with Cornerstone Protection!!!
    Kanu Patel
  • Avatar Liz Jones ★★★★ 2 years ago
    We had a very positive experience with Alissa as a tutor for our pod of 5th grade boys from January - June 2020. She cared a lot about the boys and worked hard to create meaningful activities for them. The pod experience was invaluable … More for all of our families during a difficult year and we were so grateful to have found this partnership! We also want to appreciate Craig for helping to match us with a tutor on very short notice after we had cycled through a few folks who were not able to see the commitment through. Thanks for sticking with us!
  • Avatar S CL ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    Dusty was the exact person we needed to help our child finish out the school year. So grateful to him for the way he steadily encouraged her and helped her stay on track and organized. He is flexible, responsive to our needs/schedule as … More a family, and a delight to be with. We are also thankful that Craig at Themba Tutors really "gets it" and partnered us with such a wonderful tutor who was a great fit for our girl.
  • Avatar Nicole May ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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- really … More 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 typically "brain-drain" that occurs over the summer, thanks to Gillian.
  • Avatar Gillian Davidoff ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    I am going into my second year as a Themba tutor. I have met so many great individuals while working for this company. Craig and the rest of the Themba team do such an excellent job picking and choosing Themba tutors that suit each client's … More individual needs! I look forward to meeting new tutors and clients in the 2021-2022 school year!
  • Avatar carolina luttmann ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    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, responsive, and found 2 amazing tutors for … More us. Both the Latin and the physics tutors were fantastic, connected with my son really well and helped him go from 'failing' grade to 'honors'! I will for sure continue using (and recommending!) Themba Tutors. Thank you, C, K, and W!
  • Avatar Eric Fingerman ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    Brian is a fantastic executive functioning coach. Super helpful, flexible with hours, and tailored the experience to our needs.
  • Avatar Susan Wong ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    Giulia Mercuri is a great Italian tutor! She was very responsive and accessible. Giulia put a ton of effort into preparing for each session and really helped our son with test preparation and projects. We are grateful that she was able … More to help, especially since our son did not receive any live teaching during COVID. We are happy that she was referred to us!
  • Avatar Christine Gennetti ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    As an adult student diagnosed with a learning disability during grad school, I knew I needed help dealing with my Master's program's demanding workload. I was seriously considering dropping out when I was referred to Themba Tutors. … More I was paired up with a wonderful tutor, Julie, who was a total lifesaver. I learned many techniques that I can utilize in the future as I embark on the next phase of my career.
    I can wholeheartedly say after working with Themba for two years that I would not have finished my program without this organization. And I am so thankful I selected them.
  • Avatar Fabiola FITZPATRICK ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We were introduced to a wonderful tutor: Mcedwyn. He and our son, a freshman in college, worked well together. As a result, our son’s grades significantly improved. The tutor taught our son subject content and various methods to effectively … More study for quizzes and exams. Our son was also taught time management and organization. My son’s experience with the tutor made the first year of college a less intimidating experience.
  • Avatar Jude Eugene ★★★★★ 3 years ago
    We have been with our tutor, Cailin Schiller, for two years, from 5th - 7th grade. She started as an executive functioning tutor with my daughter. From the start, she demonstrated a depth of expertise and a selective use of techniques skillfully … More adapted to my daughter’s ADHD and Math disability. Cailin made Math accessible and understandable to her in a way that even her teachers had not been able to do. She differentiated reading, writing and math tasks and assignments to tailor them to my daughter’s unique learning differences. Not only did it have an effect on her grades and her work efficiency, but she finally could do her work with less anxiety. Even my daughter’s teachers used Cailin’s guidance to modify their work with her. But most importantly, she became my daughter’s favorite resource. I can’t say how invaluable Cailin has been to my daughter’s progress and well-being. I’d recommend her a million times over. She is a gem.
  • Avatar Janice Eidus ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Victoria is a superb tutor. She helped my high school age daughter with her writing. Victoria's skills as a tutor, as well as her sense of humor and her engaging personality went a long way with my daughter.
  • A Google User ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    I'm so glad we were referred to Themba Tutors. After a great initial conversation to learn our needs, we were connected with an excellent tutor, Felicia, who is helping our high school daughter learn better organizational and executive … More skills. Highly recommended.
  • Avatar Fara Jones ★★★★★ 5 years ago
    Themba Tutors provided a leaning specialist that was a perfect fit for my daughter. I told them what we were looking for and they delivered. Our tutor is responsive and flexible and makes it easy for my daughter to reach out to her own … More her own, which gives her an added sense of responsibility over her learning. As a therapist myself, I now regularly recommend Themba to my patients. A much needed and well provided service to the community!!
  • Avatar Frances Simpson ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
  • Avatar Mary Jean Babic ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    I'm so glad we were referred to Themba Tutors. After a great initial conversation to learn our needs, we were connected with an excellent tutor, Felicia, who is helping our high school daughter learn better organizational and executive … More skills. Highly recommended.
  • Avatar Nina Herman ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    We had a wonderful experience with our tutor Micaela. She helped our son not only academically but at every level. We will be forever grateful to have her in our lives.
  • Avatar Frances ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    The tutors at Themba are fantastic! Caitlyn McNeill helped our son academically, but also with getting organized in every subject, which he so desperately needed. She offered great advice and useful strategies that helped our son become … More a more successful student. We are using Themba tutors again this year for our daughter. We're so happy to have been referred to them!
  • Avatar Michael Birnbaum ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Paul Smith at Themba has been an exceptional tutor for my son, both in terms of teaching the subject matter and teaching how best to approach the process of learning math and executing assignments. We feel very fortunate to be working with … More Paul.
  • Avatar Monica Alzate ★★★★★ 5 years ago
    We were very lucky to have found Edwouine Swift, my son's therapist through Themba Tutors. Thomas is 12 years old, and it is extremely difficult to get him to write. Edwouine just works her magic with him, he adores her and is so … More eager to follow her guidance. I have no doubt she will be a positive driving force in his academic future.

MIDDLE TO HIGH SCHOOL TRANSITION SUPPORT NYC | FIX FALLING GRADES & BUILD EXECUTION SYSTEMS

Structured tutoring for students adjusting to heavier coursework, greater independence, and rising academic expectations in NYC schools

NYC Middle to High School Transition Support

Education Services for Youth Transition Success

Our specialized education services focus on helping youth, including teens and students with disabilities, successfully adjust to high school expectations. Through a structured transition program, we address the academic and executive function challenges that often emerge as students move into more demanding school environments.

This program is designed to support both academic and real-world readiness, incorporating vocational rehabilitation, employment awareness, and long-term planning as part of a comprehensive transition strategy led by a dedicated transition team leader.

Services That Support a Smooth Transition to High School

Our services go beyond traditional tutoring by building the systems students need to succeed in high school and beyond. We help students manage:

  • Increased academic workload
  • Long-term assignments and deadlines
  • Independent task initiation
  • Organization across subjects
  • Participation in extracurricular activities

 

We also guide students through key milestones such as high school application processes, ensuring they are prepared academically and organizationally.

Education Challenges During the Middle to High School Transition

Middle to High School Transition NYC support helps students rebuild academic systems when increased workload, stronger independence, and rising coursework demands expose execution gaps. Many capable students enter high school performing well—and then suddenly experience falling grades, missing work, and inconsistent performance. This transition is not about understanding the material. It is about managing workload, starting tasks independently, and executing consistently across multiple subjects without external structure. Students move from:

 

  • Guided middle school structure → independent high school expectations
  • Short assignments → long-term, overlapping deadlines
  • Limited accountability → full responsibility across subjects
  • Concept-based success → execution-based performance

 

Middle to high school transition support builds the systems required to manage this shift effectively. At Themba Tutors, we do not provide homework help. We build academic infrastructure that stabilizes performance under real academic pressure. Students navigating this transition often benefit from a broader academic support system in NYC that strengthens workload planning, consistency, and independent execution.

 

When Strong Students Start Slipping

 

  • Grades drop despite understanding
  • Homework takes significantly longer
  • Late or incomplete assignments
  • Increased reliance on parents
  • Difficulty starting work independently

When “Everything Changed”: The Middle School Wall

Many students experience a sudden performance drop during the transition to high school due to missing academic systems, not lack of ability. Families often describe the same moment:

 

“Everything was fine… and then suddenly it wasn’t.”

This is the moment where school stops being about understanding—and becomes about execution.

 

Students who previously succeeded begin to struggle with:

  • Managing multiple teachers and expectations
  • Planning long-term assignments
  • Starting complex work independently
  • Maintaining consistency across subjects

 

Many NYC students encounter this shift when entering honors tracks, Regents coursework, or private high school environments. This is not a learning issue. It is an execution gap that has finally been exposed.

The “Smart but Struggling” Transition Pattern

High-performing students often struggle during academic transitions because their systems have not scaled with increased workload. This pattern typically includes:

 

  • Homework taking significantly longer than expected
  • Task initiation failure (difficulty starting work)
  • Incomplete or rushed assignments
  • Strong understanding in class but inconsistent grades
  • Increased reliance on parents for structure

 

In competitive NYC schools, success depends on the ability to manage workload independently—not just understand content. This is where students without systems begin to fall behind. For many families, this is the point where executive function coaching in NYC becomes part of a larger structured tutoring system designed to improve academic pacing and follow-through.

tutoring for students adjusting to heavier coursework

When Families Typically Seek Transition Support

Families seek transition support when academic independence expectations exceed a student’s current systems. Common triggers include:

 

  • First poor report card in 9th grade
  • Teacher feedback about missing or late work
  • Student becoming overwhelmed by workload
  • Increasing household stress around school
  • Parent needing to manage assignments daily

 

Many NYC families begin searching for support early in high school, when patterns of inconsistency first emerge. Early intervention is critical. Because once habits solidify, they become significantly harder to change. For students who never fully developed organization systems earlier, these challenges often begin during the middle school transition.

The Transition Academy Model: Building Academic Infrastructure

Transition support installs structured systems that allow students to manage workload, execute independently, and maintain consistent academic performance. We approach this transition as a systems problem—not a subject problem. Our model includes:

 

Academic Organization Systems

  • Binder and digital file architecture
  • Assignment tracking systems
  • Subject-specific structure

 

Weekly Execution Systems

  • Preview/review routines aligned with school pacing
  • Multi-subject workload planning
  • Deadline management frameworks

 

Task Initiation & Completion Systems

  • Breaking large assignments into actionable steps
  • Reducing avoidance and delay
  • Increasing completion reliability

 

Performance Stabilization

  • Consistent homework completion
  • Reliable test preparation
  • Reduced last-minute academic crises

 

These systems are embedded directly into the student’s real coursework—not taught in isolation. Many students also pair transition support with NYC high school tutoring when coursework rigor increases across honors, Regents, and AP tracks.

In-Home Support vs Fragmented Tutoring

In-home transition support provides coordinated academic systems, while fragmented tutoring creates gaps in execution and accountability.

 

Our Model (Integrated Academic Systems)

  • One coordinated structure across subjects
  • Alignment with real school expectations
  • Continuous performance tracking
  • Reduced parent involvement

 

Fragmented Tutoring Approach

  • Multiple tutors with no coordination
  • Subject-specific focus only
  • Gaps in planning and workload management
  • Increased household stress

 

Many families initially attempt multiple tutors before realizing the issue is not subject knowledge. It is system-level execution.

Building Independent High School Students

Building Independent High School Students

Structured academic systems allow students to operate independently without constant parental oversight. During this transition, many households experience:

 

  • Nightly homework monitoring
  • Repeated reminders about assignments
  • Escalating tension around schoolwork

 

Our goal is to remove parents from the role of academic manager. We build systems that allow students to:

 

  • Track assignments independently
  • Plan their workload effectively
  • Execute consistently across subjects
  • Maintain performance without supervision

 

This is the foundation of long-term academic success in NYC’s most demanding schools.

      TESTIMONIALS

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.

Craig Selinger CEO

Meet Some of Our Academic Tutors & Coaches

NYC Middle to High School Transition Support | Academic Systems
JACOB

Masters of Science in General and Special Education

Ojené
OJENÉ

Master’s of Science in Education in Therapeutic Interventions

FRED
FRED

Master’s in Special Education and Health & Wellness Coaching

STACEY
STACEY

Master’s in Adolescent Education

JAHYRA
JAHYRA

Master’s in Teaching

MICHAEL
MICHAEL

Master’s in Teaching Adolescents with Disabilities | Master’s in School Administration

NYC Middle to High School Transition Support | Academic Systems
BRENNA

Special Education Teacher & Math Specialist

Evan
EVAN

Master’s in Leadership in Math Education, Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics

**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.

Why NYC Families Choose Themba Tutors

Themba Tutors is a structured academic performance firm focused on execution, consistency, and long-term academic independence. Families choose us because we provide:

  • Academic infrastructure—not reactive tutoring
  • Systems that scale with high school demands
  • Specialists familiar with NYC academic environments
  • In-home implementation for real-world consistency

 

We work with families across:

  • Upper East Side
  • Upper West Side
  • Tribeca
  • Park Slope
  • Brooklyn Heights
  • DUMBO

 

We understand:

  • Regents exam sequencing
  • Honors and AP workload escalation
  • Private school academic expectations
  • Competitive NYC academic environments

 

Our role is to stabilize performance early—before inconsistency becomes a long-term pattern.

Transition support

Frequently Asked Questions

When should a student get transition support?

Most families begin during late 8th grade or early 9th grade when workload and independence increase.

 

Is this different from tutoring?

Yes. This focuses on building academic systems, not just subject instruction.

 

How often do students meet?

Typically 2–3 sessions per week during the transition period.

 

Do you work across all subjects?

Yes. We support math, science, writing, and overall academic systems through services like writing tutoring in NYC and K–12 math tutoring.

 

Is this in-home?

Yes. We provide in-home support across Manhattan and Brooklyn, with remote options available.

Key Facts About the Middle to High School Transition

  • The transition to high school significantly increases workload and independence
  • Many students struggle due to system gaps, not ability
  • Early support improves long-term academic outcomes
  • Structured systems reduce stress and improve consistency

 

Families seeking long-term academic stability often combine transition support with high school tutoring, writing tutoring, and math tutoring support depending on subject load and school demands.

Not ready to fill out the form yet? We’re here to make this easy.

📞 (917) 382-8641 | 📲 (917) 382-8641 | ✉ [email protected]


Every coach offers a free 15-minute remote meet-and-greet, so you can get to know them and see if it feels like the right fit. We’re very responsive and easy to communicate with throughout the process. From there, we’ll thoughtfully match you with one or more of our coaches.


References & Educational Resources