Tom Kertes

I was the Director of Learning Services of Puget Sound Learning from 1994-2000, a private tutoring centre that specialized in supports for struggling readers and writers. I specialized in providing and coordinating reading supports for older students (Grades 4 and up).

Puget Sound Learning provided a range of reading and writing supports (assessment, tutoring, small group instruction, and enrichment classes) for an average of 150 students at a given time throughout the year (not including students enrolled in the summer enrichment classes).

Overview: Puget Sound Learning

  • Tutoring centre in Silverdale, WA (a suburb of Seattle)
  • Services included:
    • Diagnostic assessment and informal skills inventory
      • Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests
      • Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)
      • Basic Reading Inventory (Johns)
    • Individual learning plan, developed in collaboration with the student’s teacher (and/or other teaching professionals) when possible
    • Individual tutoring for students with learning disabilities and other struggling readers and writings
    • Small group tutoring to help students maintain or improve reading and writing skills
    • Enrichment classes (summer courses) (these courses combined teacher training with tutoring for students during the summer, and were taught by certified teachers in the local community)
      • “Running Start” Summer Courses (for K students)
      • “Catch Up” Summer Courses (for K/1 students)
      • “Reading Intensives” Summer Courses (for 2/3 students)
      • Writers’ Workshop (for Grades 4 and up)

My Role: Director of Learning Services

  • Oversaw and administered new student intake
  • Assessed students and wrote individual learning plan based on incoming assessment and individual student profile
  • Continual re-assessment based on progress, revised individual learning plan
  • Supervised individual tutors (including training, coaching, mentoring)
  • Small group and enrichment class teacher
  • Specialized in older students who struggled with reading (Grades 4 and up)
  • Communication with family and the student’s school (and/or other teaching professionals)
  • Outreach to local schools, which included presentations on reading and writing instruction for struggling students
  • Outreach to families, which included free community workshops on supporting literacy for all ages and reading levels