English and Reading tutor for students of all ages and backgrounds! (And basic math as well)

I have a Master's degree in Sociology from the University College Dublin, and a Bachelor's degree in Literature and Literary analysis. I have several years of experience working as a primarily English and Reading tutor, specifically tutoring students (ages 6 - 17) with reading comprehension, sounding out words, reading speeds and smoothness, essay writing, basic literary analysis, etc. These students were, for the most part, from families where English was not the primary language spoken at home, and it was a part of my job to build their confidence in their second language. I also have some minor experience teaching younger students (ages 5 - 11) with basic math - arithmetic, multiplication/division, and algebra. My main goal as a tutor is not only to help a student improve their grades, but to help them build their self-confidence, so that when they are faced with new information or new problems, instead of instinctively shrinking from them and thinking "I can't do it", they meet them head on. In order to do this, it's important to create trust between me and my students, so that they feel comfortable asking questions, or telling me when they don't understand something. One of the ways I create trust is by making learning a game, so that even the driest of subjects can be approached in a playful way. I find this to be particularly effective with younger students with shorter attention spans! I also let them guide me (to an extent) to what they're interested in, what they like to do, so that I can then incorporate that into my teaching strategies. It's true of all humans, and especially with kids, that if you show them how math or reading is connected to something they love (like dinosaurs or cooking), then they will see that subject as something personal to them.