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.

Summer Reading Program for Middle & High School Students in NYC

Summer Reading Program

Build Reading Efficiency, Speed, and Comprehension Before the School Year Starts

  • Improve reading speed and reduce effort across all subjects
  • Strengthen comprehension for longer, more complex texts
  • Build independent reading skills needed for middle and high school

Get matched with a tutor for a structured summer reading plan →

Why Reading Becomes a Problem in Middle & High School

Reading challenges often become more visible as students enter middle and high school, where academic demands increase significantly.

Students are expected to:

  • Read longer assignments across subjects like history, science, and English
  • Process complex vocabulary and multi-syllabic words
  • Keep up with faster-paced coursework

Many students begin to struggle not because they lack ability—but because reading is still slow, effortful, or inconsistent.

Common signs include:

  • Reading takes significantly longer than expected
  • Difficulty getting through assigned material
  • Frequent rereading with limited retention
  • Avoidance of reading-heavy subjects
  • Falling behind despite strong effort

Summer is often when these gaps become clear—without school structure, inefficiencies in reading are harder to compensate for.

Summer Reading Program

What This Summer Reading Program Actually Improves

This is not a passive “read more books” program.

A structured summer reading program focuses on how students read, not just what they read.

Students work on:

  • Decoding multi-syllabic words more efficiently
  • Increasing reading speed and fluency
  • Improving accuracy and reducing hesitation
  • Strengthening comprehension through better processing
  • Building stamina for longer academic texts

As reading becomes more automatic, students are able to:

  • Keep up with assignments more easily
  • Understand material more quickly
  • Work more independently

This directly impacts performance across all academic subjects.

Who This Summer Reading Program Designed For

This summer reading program is best suited for middle and high school students who are:

  • Reading below grade level
  • Taking too long to complete reading assignments
  • Struggling with comprehension despite effort
  • Avoiding reading-heavy coursework
  • Entering a more demanding academic year

Many students in this summer reading program are capable but inefficient readers.
They understand material when supported—but struggle to keep up independently.

TESTIMONIALS

Alex’s services were of great help and support to me, especially when it came to keeping my feet on the ground and giving suggested methods to further improve my college experience.

Ashoka Z.

My son got to a point in his writing where he just hit a wall with brainstorming. He needed some extra 1:1 time outside of school with someone who could handle the executive functions aspect, the anxiety piece, the extra time/silence my son sometimes needed, and the warmth and creativity that is his native space. Jake was beyond perfect. I just couldn’t have dreamt up a better fit. In addition, he documented his process, what was working with my son, so that I have a collection of emails to look back on when I need reminding about how to help my son when he’s feeling stuck – which is now very seldom. If I had five thumbs, they’d all be up. So I’ll just say, 5 stars! Thank you, Jakek and thank you, Themba Tutors. (By the way, this was affordable, to boot.)

Micaela B.

The sessions with Rhia are going great! We’ve been doing some really important foundational work, and it feels like every week, I’m getting closer to my overall goals. It’s challenging at times but very rewarding. Rhia is a great coach, and look forward to speaking with her every week. I could go on, but I’ll just sum it up by saying that it’s all very positive on my end.

P.A.

We are parents of a bright college age son who, despite his intelligence, has struggled academically because of ADHD and executive functioning challenges. After a very difficult first three semesters at college, which deeply affected his confidence and self esteem, our son left school and for years was too discouraged to return, fearful of more failure. We reached out to Themba Tutors to recommend someone who could give him the support and encouragement he needed to return to school, and was referred to Jordan W. We could not have been happier with that referral. We had no idea whether our son would be willing to work with him, but Jordan’s warm and engaging nature won him over. With Jordan’s support, guidance and encouragement, our son went back to college! He is still a work in progress and has many challenges ahead, but we are, and will always be, grateful for Jordan’s kind and caring nature, intelligence and extraordinary patience in helping our son move forward. Thank you Jordan and thank you Themba Tutors.

Guy

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 essential skills will benefit our students’/clients’ long-term plans.

Summer Reading Program for Middle & High School Students in NYC

Structured Program vs Typical Summer Reading

Most summer reading programs focus on exposure:

  • Assigned reading lists
  • Independent reading
  • General comprehension work

These approaches work for strong readers—but often do not help students who struggle with reading efficiency.

This summer reading program is different:

  • Structured, step-by-step instruction
  • Focus on decoding, fluency, and processing
  • Immediate feedback and correction
  • Individualized pacing
  • Measurable progress over time

Students don’t just complete reading—they improve how they read.

In-Home and Online Summer Reading Program Options

We offer both in-home and online summer reading support.

Online sessions provide:

  • Flexible scheduling during summer travel
  • Consistent weekly structure
  • Access to specialized instructors
  • Reduced time spent commuting

In-home sessions provide:

  • Face-to-face support
  • Hands-on guidance
  • Familiar learning environment

Both formats maintain the same structured, performance-focused approach.

Summer Reading Program for Middle & High School Students in NYC

Craig Selinger

Summer Reading Program

When a More Intensive Reading Intervention May Be Needed

A summer reading program is effective for many students—but some require deeper, more structured intervention.

You may want to consider a full reading intervention program if your child:

  • Cannot decode unfamiliar words consistently
  • Reads significantly below grade level
  • Struggles with basic word recognition patterns
  • Shows signs of dyslexia or persistent reading difficulty

Learn more about our structured reading intervention program.

Start Summer Reading Support Early

Summer is one of the most effective times to improve reading without the pressure of school.

Students who begin early are able to:

  • Close reading gaps before the school year starts
  • Improve reading speed and comprehension
  • Build independence and confidence
  • Enter the next grade better prepared

Whether you’re looking for a summer reading program, structured tutoring, or flexible online support, early action leads to stronger outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do summer reading programs actually help?
Yes. Structured programs improve reading efficiency, comprehension, and consistency when they focus on instruction—not just reading volume.

2. What is the difference between a reading camp and a structured summer reading program?
Reading camps focus on exposure. Structured programs improve decoding, fluency, and comprehension directly.

3. Is an online summer reading program effective?
Yes. Online sessions are highly effective when they are structured, consistent, and led by experienced instructors.

4. How often should sessions take place?
Most students benefit from 2–3 sessions per week.

5. Will this help with school performance?
Yes. Improved reading efficiency directly impacts performance across all academic subjects.

Key Takeaways

  • Reading efficiency is critical for middle and high school success
  • Slow or effortful reading impacts all subjects—not just English
  • Structured instruction improves decoding, fluency, and comprehension
  • Summer is the best time to address reading gaps
  • Early intervention leads to stronger academic performance

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.