Brooklyn Letters
1139 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn
- Samantha Dalmas was fantastic! We saw her for a feeding therapy evaluation and while she doesn’t think my daughter needs more feeding therapy sessions at this time, but she gave me lots of tips to try. If my daughter's doctors want … More to see more progress at her next appointment, I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha again.
- Melissa was wonderful. Our daughter warmed to her immediately and by the time she left, had already started "practicing" some of the techniques Melissa had shown her. I will not hesitate at all to reach out to Melissa again, should … More the need arise.
- Brooklyn Letters was recommended to me through a friend's speech therapist friend in NJ. The articulation evaluation for my daughter went well. We were pleased with Kristin's services.
- We cannot say enough good things about Effie, the ASL teacher, who was so engaged and effective with our 2 year old daughter from the very first session! Effie gladly included our whole family in the sessions! Her expertise and fantastic … More personality gave our daughter a way to communicate that she was so desperately seeking. The coordinators at Brooklyn Letters were so helpful and communicative…I would highly recommend their services!
- Aileen was INCREDIBLY helpful to us, both in assessing possible origins of my grandson's food aversions, as well as informing us of various available interventions to consider.
I can’t thank you and Brooklyn Letters enough for connecting … More us with Aileen. In all our feeding therapy journey we have not gotten anything near the kind of benefit that we did from her. Her knowledge, professionalism, and responsiveness have put us on the path of progress with my grandson and has also made us feel genuinely well cared for. - We were amazed with Allison! She met my son at 2 1/2 years old, not speaking much at all, and over a computer, and she was able to develop a bond and friendship, so much so that he would look forward to his weekly computer time with Allison. … More I was not sure how the speech therapy would go- but we are so happy that we tried it out and continued. It allowed my son to gain confidence in his speech, make a new friend :), and also give him the skills and a bit of understanding of how to shape his mouth or where to place his tongue to make the proper sounds. We were extremely happy with Allison- she was fantastic to work with.
- My sessions with Karen have been extremely helpful. My speech has improved tremendously. In fact, I just finished 2 hours of conducting interviews with a consulting client via MS Teams and I have an upcoming conference call. Both my … More neurologist and neurosurgeon remarked about how good my speech is. Much of the day it is perfect, although I still have some rough spots when I get tired or speak too quickly. One of my granddaughters is a speech pathology student at Ithaca College. She sat in on 2 sessions while she was home for winter break, and she was very impressed with Karen.
- We were delighted with Christie. First, and most importantly, our son made great strides under her guidance. So great, that we felt he no longer needed help! She was incredibly patient and kind with him and our son really responded to … More her. Christie was also great with me and my wife. She provided thorough and informative updates on our son's progress and which exercises she was using with him, so we could reinforce what she was teaching him. All in all, we had a fabulous experience with Christie and would highly recommend her.
- Theo was wonderful and his work with my son has produced some progress. I am grateful for the services Theo provided.
- Highly recommend Jill. She is a total pleasure to work with. After a few months working with Jill, my son is reading above grade level and LOVES to read. Mission accomplished!
- Paige was great and we had been really happy with her. I would highly recommend her! I recommend Brooklyn Letters to whomever asks for a speech therapist.
- Isabel was WONDERFUL and our son absolutely adored her, and he is making great progress with his reading and writing.
- Theo was fantastic with our 4yo son. We were very worried that his progress would fall off when we had to switch to remote sessions, but Theo kept our son happy and engaged through the screen. Highly highly recommend!
- We've been working with Theo from Brooklyn Letters for close to 4 months now and the results are apparent; our daughter has vastly improved her speech in a relatively short amount of time. We make "Theo Day" a celebration … More in our house with pancakes for breakfast, and the enthusiasm is matched in the sessions. Theo is fun, patient, professional, and caring, and he gives us the tools to take the lessons beyond the session. Thank you Theo, and Brooklyn Letters, for helping our daughter express herself.
- I worked with Alina to enhance my pronunciation, tone, and pacing while communicating socially and in a work environment. She was great to work with and clear about goals and learning objectives. The improvement from day 1 has been tremendous! … More
- Cathy has been excellent with us and our son. We will sorely miss her. He has improved significantly with Cathy’s help. Cathy was a true partner with us, especially as we pursued additional help through our son’s school system.
- We really loved working with Alina, she is so fantastic. Patient yet firm, and determined the best course of action very clearly and succintly for us. And it all transitioned so well to Zoom as well. I will definitely be back in touch for … More services for our other child after summer break!
- Vera was amazing! My 11 yo daughter made progress so quickly and really looked forward to her sessions. She was kept motivated and engaged.
- The work that Allison P. did with our daughter over the years has been invaluable to us. Our daughter had such a good relationship with Allison, and it allowed them to work really well together - even remotely these past 6 months. This … More year, Allison went above and beyond by helping us throughout the neuropsych eval we did, trying to re-open our daughter's IEP at her school, and eventually landing her at our chosen school. She was in contact with our daughter's teachers, with the neuropsychologist, and made herself available as a reference to speak on behalf of our daughter's learning differences.
Allison stopped by our house last week to give our daughter cupcakes and say goodbye, and I literally cried with appreciation for what an amazing speech therapist she has been. She has been our daughter's biggest champion. The new families that she will work with this year are lucky to have her. - Sydney was great! Our son was sad to end his sessions with her, which says a lot. We appreciated her honest assessment of his skill level, and he now has materials to self monitor and practice. Thank you!
- Our experience with Theo was terrific. Theo was great with my son. He developed a positive relationship with him based on sincerity, respect, trust and a deep personal connection. In their lessons, Theo was encouraging, creative and kind. … More He helped our son understand how to differentiate the sounds he made when he spoke, and gave him great exercises to practice every week between lessons. Our son was sorry to have the lessons come to an end, but recognized that Theo had helped him as much as possible and it was time for him to stop. Theo explained to him (and us) how to keep working to get the last 5%, and encouraged him to keep working on the exercises on his own. I have recommended Theo to another parent who noticed my son's improvement and inquired for her own son.
We are all grateful to have gotten to know Theo, and we greatly appreciate all the work he did to help our son. - "I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Michelle Macroy-Higgins. We are extremely pleased with her work with our daughter. I was so grateful for my daughter to have a speech therapist who is a researcher (specialty in late … More talkers), graduate professor and practitioner. Her expertise was clearly evident in our conversations and work with our daughter. She was very responsive to my questions and often sent articles and other materials about language development that I found helpful. Thankfully, my daughter's speech improved tremendously. Michelle developed such a warm relationship with my daughter. My daughter was always excited to see Michelle and would greet her at the door with a big hug. Lastly, I would add that Michelle always demonstrated empathy with me as a mother who was initially worried about her daughter's language development. I could go on and on about how pleased we were with Michelle's work."
- Theo is a wonderful Clinton Hill speech therapist. We were really pleased with him. Our son showed drastic improvement, not only in his speech but in his confidence.
- Alexa has been an enthusiastic, reliable, well prepared and caring teacher for our 6 year old daughter. She has been able to improve and increase our daughter's confidence lesson by lesson with patience and competence; through varied … More and productive didactic practice. Alexa has engaged our daughter in several activities that always kept her motivated and eager to learn literacy. My wife and I, both of us are educators, feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe Alexa's pedagogical skills. Alexa has had a big impact on our daughter literacy growth. Thank you Brooklyn Letters!
- We were absolutely DELIGHTED with Marsha's services. She was wonderful. We found her to be kind, fun, engaging, very knowledgeable. She provided us with clear instructions and additional written handouts each week. She engaged our … More son with different techniques and toys, and showed us how to use her techniques when we were interacting with him. I actually just texted her on Saturday - Our son finally said "more" - one of the target words we had been working on with her. It was a total joy to hear, and I had to share it with her - she wrote back immediately to congratulate us. I am so appreciative of her expertise, and wish we could have seen her for longer. I recommended her to another family in our neighborhood who is looking for a speech therapist.
STATEN ISLAND, NYC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATH TUTORS
As Featured In:
WE TRAVEL TO THE FOLLOWING STATEN ISLAND NEIGHBORHOODS:
North Shore Mid Island and the South Shore!
TRAVEL TIME IS INCLUDED WITH THESE RATES!
Staten Island Math Tutoring Rates
$135-$175 Per Hour
$110-$150 for 45 minutes
$90-$115 for 30 minutes (online only)
With Staten Letters’ elementary math tutoring, students are assessed using several researched-based programs, such as the EasyCBM and Go Math. These are great tools that allow us to see if your child is caught up to speed with their elementary math skills (click here to see the skills as broken down per grade level).
👉How to Select a Qualified Tutor👈
Training/Certifications
Math Specialists
We travel to you and we also offer remote services. Our Math Specialists work on number lines, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, order of operations, fractions, word problems, and more!
Common Core Math Standards & Worksheets (Kindergarten- 5th Grades)
Check out these simple activities for kids to build early math skills at home, and some helpful information for parents and early childhood educators to help kids thrive in math.
Give your child a fun way to practice Math. Try Monster Math! It is a fun K-5 math program with games with really fun characters and storylines, combined with offline math activities in printables, providing really fun and complete Math Practice.
What is Multisensory Math?
Multisensory math is a three-dimensional sequential way to learn math. Everyone can benefit from multisensory math particularly those who struggle with math.
The Orton-Gillingham approach is a multisensory approach to teaching literacy. It involves using auditory, visual, sensory, and kinesthetic elements to help elementary math students understand the connection between language and letters or words.
Multisensory math applies the same principles to mathematics instruction. It encourages the use of touch, sight, hearing, and movement–when learning and teaching a new concept. Marilyn Zecher, M.A., CALT, a certified academic language therapist and specialist, speaker, and former classroom and demonstration teacher, expanded and developed this approach further. She applied and combined the Orton-Gillingham Approach with evidence-based practices based on neuro-imaging studies and NCTM and What Works Clearinghouse recommendations.
Zecher emphasizes the language of math, stressing that the language of instruction is crucial during the process of concept formation and developing skills towards application. Multisensory math uses the Concrete, Representational, and Abstract (CRA) instructional sequence and explicit language to help learners grasp elementary math concepts more effectively.
To ensure effective elementary math instruction using the multisensory math approach, learners must be taught explicitly, practice skills consistently, and learn new concepts through CRA.
Concrete (Touch) – This aspect of multisensory math refers to touch. Teachers use tangible objects to represent concepts or numbers, such as breaking apart foam shapes (or using other manipulatives) to demonstrate fractions.
Representational (Drawing) – After concrete or tactile demonstration, teachers can then introduce the representational or drawing aspect. This technique encourages students to create their own visualization of the concept learned. It also aids students to facilitate their own connections and allows them to write down what they are thinking.
Abstract (Symbols) – Once they have fully understood the lesson introduced and built up during Concrete and Representational, the next stage is the abstract or symbols sequence. Traditionally, teachers introduced elementary math lessons using only abstract concepts (numbers and symbols). And while this has worked for some, other learners find it difficult to grasp math ideas without concrete or visual representation.
Elementary Math Concepts that Learners Should Master
According to Zecher, learners must master four conceptual horizons in elementary math that lay down the foundation for higher levels of math. These are:
- Pattern Recognition and Subitizing – Being able to identify quantity instantly or subitizing is a key concept in math and is one of its foundations. The best way to see quantity is through patterns. Having the ability to visualize numbers is crucial in developing a strong number sense. It opens the path to operational fluency and understanding number relationships. An example of subitizing would be recognizing dice patterns: One can visually identify the number or quantity without having to count or tap each dot. Likewise, it is also important to recognize number bonds and understand that numbers can be decomposed or broken down (such as 8 into 3 and 5 or 2 and 6).
- Place Value – Using craft sticks is a great way to teach place value using multisensory math techniques. As the number gets larger, learners can see the quantity change and feel a heavier weight. Likewise, it helps learners visualize the difference between a number’s standard (the number’s name = 125) and expanded form (what it is made of = 100 + 20 + 5).
- Distributive Property – This refers to a learner’s ability to act on larger quantities and understanding that those quantities can be broken apart or decomposed and act on those numbers. To illustrate, consider 15 x 3. Learners must first understand that 15 can be decomposed into 10 and 5. They can then distribute (multiply) 3 and add those quantities to find the product of 15 x 3.
- What is ONE and all its many names – This refers to the concept that any number written over itself is equivalent to one. Hence, multiplying or dividing by some form of one only changes the composition of the quantity and not the quantity itself.
Getting Started on Multisensory Elementary Math Techniques
Multisensory teaching methods were first applied in literacy and reading instruction. But over the years, learning specialists have found that the same multisensory approach can also be effectively used when teaching math. In particular, when it is applied in elementary math using the CRA framework.
To get started with multisensory math, it is important to take advantage of skills that a learner has already mastered. From there, new concepts can be introduced using the CRA method. Using manipulatives is integral in multisensory math, especially in elementary math instruction, but these do not need to be expensive. Some items commonly used are:
- Craft sticks
- Beads and string
- Base ten blocks
- Interlocking cubes
- Color tiles
- Foam stickers
- Flat marbles
- Dice/Dominoes (only up to six)
Here are some multisensory techniques for teaching elementary math:
- Visualizing with manipulatives such as beads, color tiles, or blocks is an excellent technique to teach basic operations like addition and subtraction. By seeing how quantities change, young learners get a better understanding of how math operations work. Visualization also helps children understand amounts and develop number sense.
- Using cubes or tiles to build shapes lets children have a concrete and physical representation of measurements and properties.
- Drawing math problems is an excellent way to reinforce hands-on activities as it lets children illustrate their thinking and the concept they learned.
- Tapping out numbers allows children to “feel” the value of numbers. It helps students better understand and make connections between symbols and actual amounts.
- Using songs to help memorize math rules and introduce new concepts.
- Incorporating movement into math through play and games
- Using bundling sticks or coffee stirrers to teach regrouping and place value. This can also be done using base ten blocks.
- Using a hundreds chart is an excellent way to teach number relationships to children.
- Cutting pizza into slices to introduce and teach the concept of fractions. By cutting up a paper or cardboard pizza, you allow children to see what fractions look like as they select slices.
Find more multisensory math and elementary math information and resources here:
Free, ready-to-use classroom resources for all students
Applying the Orton-Gillingham Approach to Math Lesson Planning
ASDEC Multisensory Math I Course
Our math tutors can help your child with the following:
Number Lines – A number line is the visual representation of numbers such as fractions, integers, and whole numbers. The numbers are laid out evenly on a straight line, which allows students to picture number sequences. Number lines can be used to compare and order numbers as well as to demonstrate techniques for counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing.
Addition – As one of the basic arithmetic operations, addition is defined as combining two or more groups of objects into a single group. In math, addition refers to the sum or total of two or more numbers. Learners must also understand the properties of addition in order to work with numbers more effectively.
Subtraction – Subtraction refers to the mathematical operation where an amount is taken away from the total. Like addition, subtraction possesses properties that are key in mastering the operation. Identity property and inverse operations both apply to subtraction. However, it is neither commutative or associative.
Division – This operation refers to the process of sharing a number into smaller groups or distributing into equal parts. It is the inverse operation of multiplication. The commutative and associative properties of real numbers do not apply to division.
Multiplication – In math, multiplication refers to finding the result of two or more numbers by adding the numbers repeatedly. A multiplication sentence contains a multiplicand (the number multiplied by another number), multiplier (the number by which it is multiplied), and the product or result of multiplying. Multiplication possesses the commutative, associative, identity, and distributive properties.
Fractions – Fractions are a way of splitting numbers into equal parts. It consists of a numerator, or the number of equal parts counted, and a denominator that represents the total number of equal parts in one whole. Fractions are classified into three types: proper, improper, and mixed fractions.
Decimals – A decimal is a way to write fractions. It consists of a whole number and a fraction of a whole number (any part less than 1) separated by a dot or decimal point. Decimals are expressed in the scale of tens (tenths, hundredths, thousandths, and so on).
Craig Selinger, Owner
As Featured In:
MATH TUTORS IN STATEN ISLAND
Natalie L.
Orton Gillingham Trained
Natalie L. is a New York State Licensed Teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and Masters from St. John’s University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She has worked with students for over 19 years and has a passion for working with students struggling with math in grades K-6. She has provided instruction using the Go Math, Envisions Learning and Everyday Math Programs. She specializes in test prep for grades 3-6. She is a part of her school’s instructional team and is involved in curriculum planning and writing.
Natalie believes that ALL children can learn and uses a multisensory approach and individualized instruction to ensure success. She uses her training, evaluation of the student’s needs and experience to develop a curriculum tailored to each child. She keeps her students engaged by using multisensory materials and student interest. Natalie also specializes in Executive Function Coaching. She assists students to focus, develop organizational skills, plan and prioritize, and time management. She also provides enrichment to students who demonstrate advanced abilities and help them reach their full potential. She helps students set individual learning goals and works with the parents to help her students achieve these goals and develop a love for learning.
LOCATION: Staten Island
TYPE OF SERVICES: Math intervention, math enrichment & test prep
AGES: Pre-school through grade 6
Natalie L.
Orton Gillingham Trained
Natalie L. is a New York State Licensed Teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree and Masters from St. John’s University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She has worked with students for over 19 years and has a passion for working with students struggling with math in grades K-6. She has provided instruction using the Go Math, Envisions Learning and Everyday Math Programs. She specializes in test prep for grades 3-6. She is a part of her school’s instructional team and is involved in curriculum planning and writing.
Natalie believes that ALL children can learn and uses a multisensory approach and individualized instruction to ensure success. She uses her training, evaluation of the student’s needs and experience to develop a curriculum tailored to each child. She keeps her students engaged by using multisensory materials and student interest. Natalie also specializes in Executive Function Coaching. She assists students to focus, develop organizational skills, plan and prioritize, and time management. She also provides enrichment to students who demonstrate advanced abilities and help them reach their full potential. She helps students set individual learning goals and works with the parents to help her students achieve these goals and develop a love for learning.
LOCATION: Staten Island
TYPE OF SERVICES: Math intervention, math enrichment & test prep
AGES: Pre-school through grade 6
Kaitlyn
Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grade 1- Grade 6)
Kaitlyn is a childhood (Grade 1- Grade 5) special education teacher at a public school in Brooklyn. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) from The College of Staten Island. She continued at The College of Staten Island to obtain a Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grade 1- Grade 6). Kaitlyn has advanced certifications in School Building Leadership and School District Leadership. Kaitlyn has seven years of experience working with students with diverse backgrounds. She has experience working with students with ADHD, autism, speech and language impairments, and dyslexia. She specializes in differentiating her instruction to meet her students’ unique needs.
Kaitlyn believes that connecting math to the everyday lives of her students has many advantages. She incorporates problem-solving tools and enjoys showing her students multiple strategies to find what works best for them. She believes in teaching with the use of manipulatives and scaffolds. Kaitlyn displays a teaching style that strives to build her students self-confidence and celebrate their accomplishments. Kaitlyn has experience using the programs Go-Math, NY Engage, Envisions, Eureka, Bridges and Everyday Math. She has experience in teaching math test prep in grades 3-5.
LOCATION: Brooklyn/Staten Island/Central New Jersey (Remote Sessions Also Available)
TYPE OF SERVICES: Homework, intervention, state test prep, enrichment,
EXPERTISE: Multi-sensory approach, explicitly teaching mathematical vocabulary, making real-world math connections, differentiated instruction
AGES: Math (K-5)
Kaitlyn
Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6), Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grade 1- Grade 6)
Kaitlyn is a childhood (Grade 1- Grade 5) special education teacher at a public school in Brooklyn. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) from The College of Staten Island. She continued at The College of Staten Island to obtain a Master’s Degree in Special Education (Grade 1- Grade 6). Kaitlyn has advanced certifications in School Building Leadership and School District Leadership. Kaitlyn has seven years of experience working with students with diverse backgrounds. She has experience working with students with ADHD, autism, speech and language impairments, and dyslexia. She specializes in differentiating her instruction to meet her students’ unique needs.
Kaitlyn believes that connecting math to the everyday lives of her students has many advantages. She incorporates problem-solving tools and enjoys showing her students multiple strategies to find what works best for them. She believes in teaching with the use of manipulatives and scaffolds. Kaitlyn displays a teaching style that strives to build her students self-confidence and celebrate their accomplishments. Kaitlyn has experience using the programs Go-Math, NY Engage, Envisions, Eureka, Bridges and Everyday Math. She has experience in teaching math test prep in grades 3-5.
LOCATION: Brooklyn/Staten Island/Central New Jersey (Remote Sessions Also Available)
TYPE OF SERVICES: Homework, intervention, state test prep, enrichment,
EXPERTISE: Multi-sensory approach, explicitly teaching mathematical vocabulary, making real-world math connections, differentiated instruction
AGES: Math (K-5)
Megan
NYS Certified Educator with Master’s in Special Education/Childhood Education & Certification in Orton-Gillingham
Megan
NYS Certified Educator with Master’s in Special Education/Childhood Education & Certification in Orton-Gillingham
Megan graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education and Human Development/Applied Psychology, with a minor in Special Education, and with a Division I Athletic Scholarship to play softball for four years. She then received her Master’s Degree in Special Education & Childhood Education, and a NYS Teaching Certification from Fordham University. Megan received Certification in the Orton-Gillingham method to teach reading to students with reading difficulties. Throughout Megan’s nine years of lead teaching experience, she has taught in various educational settings across Manhattan, meeting wonderfully diverse students. For three years, Megan taught in a general education setting and is experienced in the Common Core curricula, while working with General Education students, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities, teaching core subjects (e.g., reading, writing, math, social studies, science) to second through fifth graders. For the last six years, Megan has been a Special Education Head Teacher at a private special education school. She is responsible for creating and implementing individualized instruction across academic domains to meet the specific needs of students with a variety of learning and physical disabilities, and learning differences including students diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, speech and language impairments, social pragmatic language disorder, ADHD, learning disorder in reading/ math, dysgraphia, developmental coordination disorder, mood disorders, and students with hearing impairments. Due to the pandemic, Megan gained experience teaching remotely, as well as teaching on-ground students simultaneously with remote learners each day.
Megan believes in and gratefully witnesses how all students have the potential to grow and succeed both in and out of the classroom. She understands the importance of getting to know a student as a whole, while building off a student’s strengths, honoring their developing skills or challenges, and including their interests within instruction. Megan believes using this understanding to develop an individualized program for a student, while providing a warm, comfortable and fun environment is essential in supporting a student’s academic success. Megan focuses on positive encouragement as a tool to help students develop confidence and build or continue their love for learning.
Individualized math instruction with a focus on building foundational math skills through the use of manipulatives is the method Megan uses to strengthen a student’s number sense, teach the concept of addition and subtraction, real-world math concepts, and other foundational skills. Incorporating engaging games and movement is important in her instruction.
LOCATIONS: Staten Island, Manhattan; In-Person & Online
TYPES OF SERVICES: Individualized math instruction (grades Pre-K through 3rd)
EXPERTISE: Math instruction/intervention; learning differences and disabilities; Engage NY; Stern Structural Arithmetic; Singapore Math; individualized instruction
AGES: Pre-K through 3rd Grade