Jayne Olds
The Reading Tree
I have been passionate about reading for as long as I can remember. My first-grade teacher is the one who influenced me to want to become an educator. The tools she used to teach reading opened a whole new world to me, and I knew I wanted to give that gift to children.
Still, my mother, Aunt Gayler, and my Nanny were the ones who inspired my love for reading. My Nanny did not place much value in earthly possessions, but she had books. Shelves and shelves of books...Shakespeare, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Anne of Green Gables, all the classics, and more. When we visited her, my favorite thing would be to run to her room to see what new books had been added to the shelves. I would make my selection, run into the backyard, climb my special tree, and sit there engrossed in my book until I was numb. That precious memory is what led me to start The Reading Tree, a tutoring business to help teach the next generation to read.
Philosophy
I believe all children can become strong readers - individuals capable of reading and writing easily, effectively, and efficiently. My methodology for teaching reading is phonics-based and is in step with the key pillars identified by over 40 years of scientific reading research. These core concepts are Phonemic Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Language and Comprehension. Because it's my belief that teachers should be lifelong learners, I will continue to study and learn about the process of reading.
“Phonological awareness (PA) involves a continuum of skills that develop over time and that are crucial for reading and spelling success, because they are central to learning to decode and spell printed words. Phonological awareness is especially important at the earliest stages of reading development — in pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade for typical readers.” (Reading Rockets)
Tutoring Approach
My tutoring approach will be individualized to your child, and the instruction will be explicit, structured, and systematic. My lessons will be consistent in design so your child will know what to expect. Knowing what to expect will promote a stress-free learning environment will foster independence and a sense of accomplishment in your child.
Each session will be tailored to suit the needs and age of your child. They will contain the core pillars of reading.
- Phonemic Awareness/Phonics
- Word Recognition/Sight Words
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Spelling
- Writing
- Comprehension
Experience
- First Grade Reading Teacher/ Fourth Grade Teacher
Lamar Consolidated ISD – Richmond,TX - Phonics
- Writing
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Spelling/Dictation
- Volunteer for Reading Partners
a nonprofit one-on-one tutoring program
Qualifications
- B.S. in EDUC from University of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State Department of Education Teaching Certificate
