Frequently Asked Questions

How do you determine each learner's skill gaps and where to begin?

The English Literacy Investigator starts by getting to know the learner through a thorough evaluation that highlights both their strengths and areas for growth. From there, each session is thoughtfully tailored and continually refined over time to support their needs and celebrate their progress

When and how do I pay?

Payment is due before each session and can be made by cash, check, Venmo, or Zelle; please contact me with any payment questions.

What is the length of a session?

Each session is 60 minutes of focused, one-to-one instruction. For steady progress, two sessions per week on non-consecutive days is recommended.

Do you charge for late cancellations or no-shows?

If you let me know at least 24 hours in advance, there’s no cancellation fee. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice—or no-shows—incur a $50 fee. I understand emergencies happen; contact me promptly and we can determine a fair solution.

What is the cost of a session?

The fee is $125 per session. It includes the 60-minute lesson, all materials, and 1–2 hours of individualized planning outside session time (review of prior lessons and preparation for the next session).

Why choose The English Literacy Investigator over a cheaper tutor?

I use the Orton-Gillingham method, a structured-literacy approach that starts with a diagnostic evaluation to pinpoint skill gaps and sets a step-by-step plan across phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling patterns, morphology, and fluency. This explicit, multisensory, one-to-one level of targeted instruction—diagnostic-prescriptive and continually adjusted with progress checks—is not found in typical classrooms or from general homework-help tutors.