Welcome to Our Blog
Social Skills Tutoring
Social skills are both the verbal and nonverbal skills we use to communicate and interact with other people. Children who struggle with peer and adult relationships may benefit from working with a tutor in this social arena. Sessions focus on verbal communication which include not only the words used but also the tone and volume. Instruction will also address nonverbal communication which will include body postures and gestures, and facial expressions. Role play regarding: friendships, joining and participating in a group, reading the room, school rules, perspective taking of self and others, and conflict resolution are a few of the social venues that will be presented as social skills are modeled, taught in chunks, and practiced. Mindful strategies are woven throughout to aid in emotional regulation.
The following concepts and programs are covered:
-
Executive Functions: goal setting, attention/focus, organization, task initiation, self advocacy, self-monitoring, strategies for managing emotions, problem solving and thinking flexibly
-
Michelle Garcia Winner Social Thinking strategies
-
Mindfulness from Mindful Schools Curriculum
-
Grit and Growth Mindset
-
Responsive Classroom, specifically Interactive Modeling
How: Through individual tutoring or small group instruction
Who can benefit: Early elementary through middle school students
Location: The Center for Educational Services’ Paoli office
Led by: Linda Jarrett, M.Ed., CES tutor and executive function coach
Email (centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com) or call (610-642-4056) our director,
Dr. Amanda Strine, to answer any questions or get started today!
Introducing our new tutors!
Please help us welcome three new tutors, who are bringing their wealth of knowledge and experience to our expert team. Linda Jarrett, Randi Rentz and Alicia Sussman have worked for decades in schools and private tutoring.
Linda Jarrett, M.Ed.
Linda has been teaching and coaching Executive Functions for over 20 years. Understanding a student’s learning profile and appropriately sharing that information with the student allows them to begin to understand who they are as learners. Knowing their challenges, whether that be anxiety, ADHD, learning or social, and their strengths, students are taught the most beneficial strategies and tools needed to be their best selves. This knowledge allows them to appropriately advocate for themselves, which is an important goal.
For the past 16 years Linda has been Center School’s Guidance Counselor teaching developmental guidance lessons on Mindfulness, Brain Plasticity, Grit and Growth Mindset while demystifying students so they can work toward their potential.
Linda has a B.S.Ed. in Elementary and Special Education and a M.Ed. in School Guidance Counseling. She is trained in Mindful Schools curriculum and has taken various workshops to enhance her knowledge of Mindfulness that is passed onto students. Linda has taken courses in Responsive Classroom and has shared this during teacher workshops. She has thoroughly enjoyed teaching and coaching students from 4th grade through college.
Outside of teaching, counseling and tutoring, her latest endeavor is combining Executive Functions with decluttering and downsizing, which is tailored to young adults and adults: Executive Functions meets (De)Clutter.
Randi Rentz, M.Ed.
Randi Rentz is a special educator who has worked in the public school setting in Pennsylvania since 1993. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. and received her Master’s degree in Special Education from the Johns Hopkins University with an emphasis in the area of Autism.
She specializes in working with individuals of all ages, covering the life span, particularly those with the added challenges of Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Executive Functioning deficits, Processing Disorders, Emotional Support, and Learning Support in the areas of Reading, Writing and Math, In addition, Randi is a certified Wilson instructor, She isvery experienced at developing, implementing and evaluating IEPs with related service providers, administrators, advocates, lawyers, doctors, paraprofessionals, psychologists, and parents.
As an Autistic Support Teacher and Learning Specialist, she created a researched–based Social Skills and Executive Functioning curriculum with program components including communication, behavior, and language and sensory strategies. The heart of her work is illuminating the often elusive and intangible world of Social Thinking, and developing practical strategies that can be easily used by parents, educators and service providers, across different environments She has also implemented, designed, and facilitated behavior management programs, academic interventions (all individualized), and has been trained in research-based reading and intervention programs which give her the ability to coach according to her clients’ capabilities.
Alicia Sussman, M.Ed.
Alicia Sussman serves as the Math Department Chair as well as the Math Learning Specialist at Kohelet Yeshiva High School. She holds an M.Ed. in secondary math education from St. Joseph’s University and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Delaware. At Kohelet, Ms. Sussman teaches all levels of math and provides additional support in mathematics to learners who are struggling. Ms. Sussman previously taught middle and high school students at the Crefeld School for 10 years, where she additionally served as the Head of the Department of Mathematics. She tutors all levels of mathematics, as well as for the ACT.
To learn about all of our tutors, check out our Meet the Team section. Please email our director today to find out how our tutors can help your children achieve their potentials: centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com.
.
New Rosemont location!
The Ardmore office moved to a new location
Our former Ardmore office has moved to a beautiful and convenient office in Rosemont/Bryn Mawr! Located on Route 30/Lancaster Avenue in the first suite of offices on the first floor, we are minutes away from several towns on the Main Line. We still have our second office in Paoli as well. Make an appointment today to see our tutors in either location!
Executive Function Coaching for Adults
Executive Function Coaching for College Students
CES offers specialized Executive Function coaching for students who attend community college or 4-year programs. Individualized coaching focuses on supporting these young adults as they navigate through the demands of a schedule, syllabus, and both short- and long-term assignments. Our coach focuses on the unique demands of specialized courses with the goal of improving each student’s ability to meet deadlines and successfully complete assignments, papers and examinations. The unique challenges posed by online learning are also coordinated to help the student understand and meet online requirements and extra-credit deadlines. Tutoring can easily be done in-person or online to accommodate busy schedules and/or students that go to school out-of-town. By providing this specialized mentoring, the coach teaches college students how to be more organized, independent, and successful which can then ease parental stress and frustration.
Executive Function Coaching for Adults
If you are contemplating changing careers or facing certification tests, CES Executive Functioning instructors can help you achieve your goals. Coaches can help you organize your schedules to prioritize study sessions and teach you strategies that support your study and retention of required materials. Finally you will learn effective test-taking strategies for multiple choice and essay exams, so you will feel more confident and focused in testing situations.
Bridging the Learning Gap in 2021
It has been a challenging time for so many reasons, with school being one of the biggest concerns. With schools moving online in March 2020 and shifting back to traditional modalities this fall, parents and students are concerned about how these changes impact learning. Studies have shown that almost all teachers have seen “LEARNING LOSS” among their students during the pandemic. This is particularly evident with students who have already established learning challenges. Many families are searching for ways to bridge this learning gap so that students can face school more prepared and confident. One of the best ways to assist with this process is tutoring, either online or in-person. Tutoring offers the following benefits:
- Individualized instruction instead of a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
- Additional support for students who have learning differences, ADHD, executive function challenges, etc. School may not have met all of the child’s IEP needs.
- Remediation due to losses in learning that occurred, getting assistance to “catch up” to grade level and beyond.
- Structure, organization, planning, time management and other executive function skills taught and practiced.
- Accountability to complete assignments, study for tests, and work on projects so that the responsibility to check in with children and teachers is not only on the parents’ shoulders. This avoids daily “homework battles” that have become more prevalent with students at home.
- Ability to focus on one or more subjects, such as reading or math, with experts who specialized in those areas.
All of our tutors are Masters-level and have extensive experience working with children who have learning challenges. We offer online tutoring on many platforms (e.g., FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams) or even phone tutoring if a student is struggling. Depending on the comfort level of the family and the tutor, sessions are also taking place in person, with safety protocols in place. At our offices, we have plexiglass on the desks, masks and face shields if needed, strict disinfection of the office environment, and social distancing where necessary. In addition, sessions can be held outside. Our tutors will work with families to be sure everyone is comfortable.
If you are concerned about your student’s academic challenges, please feel free to contact our director, Dr. Amanda Strine at 610-642-4056 or centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com.
PEP: Personalized Enrichment Planning
Start off the school year with opportunities to stimulate your student’s higher-level thinking skills and creativity. PEP is designed for students who complete remote learning work more quickly than other students, or who need different opportunities to extend his/her thinking and learning. PEP can provide options for parents to keep learning active and pertinent when the basic remote curriculum has been completed. Stimulate your student’s love of learning and motivation with enrichment planned by an experienced gifted teacher.
Who? Marilyn Golden, M.Ed. Gifted Consultant
What? Challenging activities designed to extend lessons to higher levels of critical and creative thinking
When? When regular remote classroom assignments have been completed or as possible alternatives to required work (with permission from teacher and/or school)
Where? Planning and follow-up meetings will be facilitated on FaceTime or Zoom (following Covid-19 guidelines)
Why? To stimulate interest in learning and higher level thinking opportunities by offering opportunities for each student to plan or select what he/she would like to learn
How?
- PEP coach will hold a conference to discover the student’s unique interests, learning styles, or passions
- PEP Coach will create a menu of possible topics, activities or projects that match the student’s interests
- PEP Coach and student ‘meet’ to discuss and refine options, brainstorm alternative ideas, and ask and answer questions
- Realistic timelines and deadlines for completion of work will be created
- Traditional or more creative options for presentation of learning will be discussed and planned
- PEP Coach can meet with student/parents as necessary to problem solve and/or teach executive functioning strategies for success
Update: Important message about COVID-19/Coronavirus from our director
I hope you are all managing to stay safe, healthy, and relatively calm during these scary and uncertain times. I just wanted to reach out to all current and prospective clients and their families to apprise you of our situation at CES. Your safety and well-being are our highest priority. We are offering different options for tutoring: online, in-person at our offices, in the student’s home, at a neutral location, and/or outside.
We offer online tutoring on many platforms (e.g., FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams) or even phone tutoring if a student is struggling. Depending on the comfort level of the family and the tutor, some sessions are now taking place in person, with safety protocols in place. At our offices, we have plexiglass on the desks, masks and face shields if needed, strict disinfection of the office environment, and social distancing where necessary. Sessions can also be held outside. Our tutors will work with families to be sure everyone is comfortable. Above all, no tutor or student will hold an in-person session if they are sick or have been in contact with someone who has symptoms.
The situation has not been ideal for students, particularly those with learning differences, ADHD, executive functioning issues, etc. Schools were forced to change their curriculum and require lessons, assignments, tests, and projects online. There are many problems our clients face with this new, unknown frontier. For instance, for students with executive function difficulties, it is challenging them to be organized, manage their time wisely, plan projects well, study effectively, and tune out all of the stimulation at home. If they are attending school in a hybrid model, students have to remember their materials both at home and school, keep track of when and how assignments are due, and manage their lives in an efficient manner. In addition, they may have lost valuable skills over the past year. Students may feel lost and have to play “catch up” after school opened again. Our tutors remain flexible and open to serving each client’s individual needs. The same goes for any new or prospective clients. If you or your child is overwhelmed by the academic work, we are here to help.
As always, feel free to reach out to me anytime if you have any questions or concerns. Emailing me at centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com is the quickest way to reach me since I am not always available by phone. You can also leave me a message at 610-642-4056 with a good number and time to call you, and I will do so promptly.
Thank you all for your understanding and flexibility!
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones,
Amanda C. Strine, Psy.D.
Director of the Center for Educational Services
Summer Reading Tips
Did your stomach drop when you realized that it is the last month of summer? Has your child even opened that required summer reading book(s) yet? You are not alone. If your child does not love reading and/or has learning challenges related to reading, August can be a stressful time. Here are some tips for parents:
1. Read aloud together with your child every day.
Make it fun by reading outdoors on the front steps, patio, at the beach or park. Also, let your children read to you. For younger children, point out the relationship between words and sounds.
2. Set a good example!
Parents must be willing to model behavior for their children. Keep lots of reading material around the house. Turn off the TV and have each person read his or her book, including mom and dad.
3. Read the same book your child is reading and discuss it.
This is the way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity for thought and insight.
4. Let kids choose what they want to read, and don’t turn your nose up at popular fiction.
It will only discourage the reading habit.
5. Buy books on tape, especially for a child with a learning disability.
Listen to them in the car, or turn off the TV and have the family listen to them together.
6. Take your children to the library regularly.
Most libraries sponsor summer reading clubs with easy-to-reach goals for preschool and school-age children. Check the library calendar for special summer reading activities and events. Libraries also provide age appropriate lists for summer reading.
7. Subscribe, in your child’s name, to magazines like Sports Illustrated for Kids, Highlights for Children, or National Geographic World.
Encourage older children to read the newspaper and current events magazines, to keep up the reading habit over the summer and develop vocabulary. Ask them what they think about what they’ve read, and listen to what they say.
8. Ease disappointment over summer separation from a favorite school friend by encouraging them to become pen pals.
Present both children with postcards or envelopes that are already addressed and stamped. If both children have access to the Internet, email is another option.
9. Make trips a way to encourage reading by reading aloud traffic signs, billboards, notices.
Show your children how to read a map, and once you are on the road, let them take turns being the navigator.
10. Encourage children to keep a summer scrapbook.
Tape in souvenirs of your family’s summer activities picture postcards, ticket stubs, photos. Have your children write the captions and read them and read them aloud as you look at the book together.
Read more here…
If your child is still having difficulty reading and understanding his/her summer reading, we can help! We have certified reading specialists with many years of experience who can help your child become a more proficient and confident reader. Don’t wait until school starts! Contact our director today at: 610-642-4056 or centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com
What are Executive Function Skills?
Does home feel like a battleground? Does it feel like you and your child speak different languages? Does your student know how to do the work at school, but can’t seem to get it completed on-time, effectively, or without missing simple steps? Then Executive Functioning Coaching is the next step. EFC is a multi-systemic approach to address deficits in executive functioning skills. By tackling issues arising at home and school, this intervention provides students with the skills necessary to meet daily demands. It also empowers parents with ways to help foster their child’s growth.
What is executive function? And how does it affect learning?
According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), “executive function (EF) is a term used to describe a set of mental processes that helps us connect past experience with present action.” Every day, each of us uses executive function skills in activities such as decision making, strategizing, troubleshooting, managing our emotions, paying attention, keeping “on-task” and remembering details.
Signs that your student may be struggling with EF:
- Chronic disorganization
- Difficulty with note-taking and study skills
- Problems with multi-step directions
- Losing track of time and little awareness of how to estimate how long work will take
- Difficulty with memorizing facts or recalling important information
- Trouble initiating activities or switching to a new subject
- Habitually losing or misplacing belongings
- Challenges with reading comprehension, math and/or writing
How can Executive Functioning Coaching help?
- Plan, organize and prioritize work
- Learn key time-management skills
- Self-advocate and know when to ask for help
- Improve working memory, prolong attention span and focus
- Self-monitor and evaluate behavior (think before acting, have awareness of how behavior affects self and others)
- Gain more effective study skills
- Regulate emotions while completing tasks
- Think critically and make corrections
The Center for Educational Services has specialized in Executive Function Coaching for several years. Our expert tutors create an individualized plan based on your child’s needs in order to help them feel more prepared, successful and confident. To learn more about our coaching, click HERE and call (610-642-4056) or email (centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com) our director to get started.
Does your child need extra help with schoolwork?
“While many students work with a tutor because they are struggling at school, others get assistance to advance their studies. Even before the school year begins, many teens realize they will have an extremely challenging teacher or a particularly difficult class. In such cases, proactively engaging a professional, so that a student knows he or she has scheduled one-on-one assistance prior to encountering a complex concept, can minimize the anxiety a student feels and improve grades.”
Call/email our director today to find the right tutor to help your child feel confident going into a new school year!
What is the best type of tutoring for my child?
How do you choose the type of tutoring that will work best for your child? At CES, we specialize in finding the best match for your child and his/her needs based on phone consultations with our director, Dr. Amanda Strine. She has extensive experience consulting with parents, teachers, professionals, and students in order to find the most effective interventions for a child’s individual needs. Call her today at 610-642-4056 or email at centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com.
“Deciding to get a tutor for your child is an important step. But even more important is finding the one who will best fit your child’s needs. Because there are many different types of tutoring and lots of tutors to choose from, parents should research their options fully to find their child’s perfect match.
“Don’t just rush into a relationship,” advises John J. Prelich, Jr., of Corn Associates educational consulting firm in New Jersey. “Shop around and really look into it.”
To find the best tutor, you should first talk with your child’s teacher and find out what he needs. Many kids require only a little extra attention and homework support. Some students will benefit from learning effective organization and study skills. Sometimes children need re-teaching to fill in the things they missed in previous years. And occasionally, a student requires intensive instruction to build an educational foundation on which future learning can take place. Knowing what your child needs will help guide you toward the right tutor.
After learning what your child needs, it’s time to consider your options…
Private Tutors
Hiring an individual to work with your child is still the most common type of tutoring. A private tutor works one-on-one with your child, usually in your home or hers. Sometimes a tutor will meet your child in a mutually convenient place, such as the school or a library.
One of the biggest benefits of hiring a private tutor is the individualized attention your child will receive. Working face-to-face, the tutor and student develop a strong personal relationship. This relationship helps the tutor understand the child’s strengths and weaknesses so he can adapt his lessons accordingly. It gives the child someone to discuss academic difficulties with, without the fear of rejection.”
Excerpt from:
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/poor-soar-finding-help-your-child-needs
New year, new student! Discover the benefits of tutoring
Make a resolution to help your child gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to be a successful student in 2018 and beyond! Our expert tutors work one-on-one with your child. They provide individualized support in order for him/her to take on more responsibility and a become more independent learner. Contact our director today at 610-642-4056 or centerforeducationalservices@gmail.com
Discover the benefits of tutoring
Executive Function challenges starting middle and high school
Is your child transitioning to middle or high school? We find that these are the most challenging times for clients who struggle with executive functioning issues and/or ADHD. Find out why this is the case and contact our center for help. We have expert EF tutors/coaches who have immediate availability. They can work with your child in order to become more independent, responsible, and confident both at school and home.
The Importance of Summer Tutoring!
Have you heard about the “Summer Slide”? It sounds like fun but educators know the real deal. It refers to the amount of knowledge a student tends to lose over the summer if he/she is not actively learning. On average, kids lose 30% or more of the skills learned in the last year. Our expert tutors can prevent the Summer Slide! Learn more about it here…
Processing speed and anxiety
Slow processing speed and other learning challenges can cause anxiety
Frequently, we see children who develop anxiety because of their learning challenges. Our expert tutors have years of training and experience working with these children in order to help them feel more prepared and confident in school.