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Karl Z

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Excellent English Composition, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary and Grammar assistance plus SAT, ACT & FCAT help!
Jacksonville, Florida
Active over a week ago

Tutor in Jacksonville, Florida

I'm an
Individual
What I Believe I am an English major from the University of Miami. I have spent most of my life writing, helping or supervising the writing of others. In addition to freelance writing, I work as a freelance editor, copywriter and proofreader. I am, of course, an avid reader of literature, popular fiction, historical fiction, poetry, history and social sciences. I find many of today's students have difficulty with reading comprehension sometimes because the importance of English communication is not taught early and often. At other times, the situation is a result of a child's imagination not being inspired by the literature assigned to be read or written about. I believe the wonder of one on one teaching is a more intimate acquaintance with a student, allowing the opportunity to discover what can set alight his/her imagination and joy of learning. The joy of working with young minds is that a fondness for learning, understanding, and enthusiasm for English skills is undeveloped and can be shaped and honed with excellent results. Communication of ideas, thoughts, concepts and life roles makes up most of what we do in life. When prepared properly in English concepts a student can rise to heights perhaps never imagined. My goal is always to elevate a student's talent in such communication and thereby light up a path to success. Test Taking I tutor students preparing for the SAT, ACT or FCAT exams. Once I assess your specific needs regarding the test, I can address them properly. I specialize in English skills, writing (including essays), reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, understanding author purpose and intention and test preparation. I meticulously enlighten my student about the test itself, so he/she is armed to take the SAT with a plan of action. Literature What better way to expand a young mind than to introduce the young adult student to literature of many different genres. Thousands of writers, philosophers, reporters, and thinkers have written stories examining every concept and intrigue of human life. A student ignores this treasure trove of mind expansion at his or her peril. Once the purpose of literature is understood, the study becomes a joy, not a trial. Writing Writing is the heart of the study of English. My hope is that my students can communicate through writing in ways that express exactly what they mean, think, believe, hope and understand. That skill is basic to their ability to achieve success with ease in any subject, at any level. A student unable to demonstrate superb writing skills will find academic success elusive. For my students that is not acceptable. As an award-winning journalist, I am passionate about telling stories. I helped many young, less-experienced people find the magic in the words to create a compelling story. In literature, imagination plays a much larger role in storytelling. For young people, it opens their hearts to the thoughts, needs, and desires of others. Literature is both a grand experience and teacher of clear and effective writing. Reading Education cannot be pursued without a fine understanding of reading. I strive to tailor the tools and reading at a level that will ease each individual into higher education and serve them throughout their education and life. Reading should not be drudgery. Reading should result in a joy of comprehension, learning and clarity of thinking. I always aim to help my students achieve that end. Reading is the art of understanding the world around us, how it influences our lives, and the lives of others. Vocabulary Vocabulary is fuel to drive a young mind toward clarity of thought, pride of understanding and ease of communication. It need not be taught separately from reading, writing and literature. It should be introduced smoothly as an adjunct of those pursuits. Mastery of vocabulary comes not from memorizing lists of words, but from using words in sentences, clarifying the nuances of meaning. Proofreading Proofreading is often an ignored concept in the teaching of English. How else might we understand how clearly our thoughts and ideas are stated, but by expert proofreading? It is not a difficult concept to master, but it is crucial to create clear, written communication. Study Skills During a long career as a journalist, deadlines arose many times a day. To meet them I had to be organized, disciplined and practiced at dealing with stress. I teach that kind of discipline and organization to the students I tutor. Often, a student is bewildered by having to study for several subjects. Homework varies from day to day, and subject to subject. For some students, this leads to confusion, frustration and stress. Organizing study time and improving their study habits will help deal with these problems, using three principles: • Divide the study tasks into individual units. • Complete one subject before moving to the next task. • Give yourself credit for accomplishments. I find that this method removes study-anxiety, and allows the student to more easily complete the work. As a journalism consultant and instructor, I taught many young people these skills as they sought to produce a newscast, or report a story. Often I found that making a diary of how we spend our time completing a task, i.e. producing a newscast, we find tasks to be eliminated or shortened. The diary gives us a road map for what is ahead, an overview to help complete all of the tasks. Being organized reduces stress, relieves pressure and gives us clarity about the task at hand. I use the same method to start my students on an organized, stress-reduced regimen for study. It works! It can work for you! More About Me I tutor mostly at my home in Mandarin. My wife is always home, but I require a chaperone or parental permission for minor students.

Experience

Elementary school
Secondary school

Services

English
Reading
Study skills
Writing

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