Carp tutoring making goals achievable

CARP – Falling behind in school is the quickest way to turn a mole hill in to a mountain. It’s hard to catch up when the rest of the class is already moving on.

Sarah Reid and her new business, Carp Village Tutoring, are ready to help students reach their education goals.

Carp Village Tutoring’s goal is to help local kids achieve their maximum learning potential in a safe and relaxed learning environment.

Reid is a certified reading specialist trained in the Orton-Gillingham method. She was certified in 2016 from the Dyslexia Training Institute and completed her practicum at the International School of Basel in Switzerland. Reid’s training is supported with a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and Psychology and a Diploma in Business Administration.

Reid, who has lived in Carp with her family since 2016 after living abroad, originally trained in the Orton-Gillingham system in order to help her son who suffers from dyslexia.

“I wanted to become certified to help my son,” Reid told West Carleton Online yesterday (Jan. 7) from her small learning centre in The Village Station. “It turned out, I didn’t need to help my son, we found an amazing tutor. But I ended up working with other children.”

When Reid returned to Canada her family settled in Carp and Reid became a public servant, but she felt she wanted something more.

“I’m somebody who wants to make a difference,” Reid said. “I took the leap, left my government job and started Carp Village Tutoring to help children reach their potential.”

Reid focuses on tutoring for children with diagnosed learning disabilities in reading as well as those who have just fallen a bit behind in reading.

Before opening her learning centre, Reid tutored children at the Carp branch of the Ottawa Public Library for roughly the last year.

For those who do need reading instruction, Reid is certified in the Orton-Gillingham method.

“It’s an evidence based, structured multi-sensory program based in science that helps children learn to read,” she said. “Phonemic awareness is a component.”

Reid also provides tutoring in math and sciences in both French and English for elementary and secondary students.

“High school kids needing math and science help as they try to get their marks up for post-secondary is the biggest demand right now,” Reid said. “Middle school-aged students are starting to grow. The word is starting to get out.”

Reid says Carp Village Tutoring can provide services students aren’t finding in the schools and aren’t available elsewhere.

“One of the things that sets us apart is we offer individualized tutoring,” Reid said. “We assess each student on their learning style. Most kids, not all, are either auditory or visual learners and we tailor a tutoring program to them. It helps us better approach the concepts they are learning. It’s always one-on-one. It’s a personal approach to tutoring with a program catered to the student.”

The Carp Village Tutoring learning centre looks like a small classroom with desks and education tools but provides students with some privacy as well. Reid also has a separate literacy room.

“People are welcome,” Reid said. “They feel comfortable and have privacy. We can really maximize the space we have here.”

And the space Reid has allows her to host workshops. She held her first last weekend and has another free workshop scheduled for this Sunday, Jan. 12 starting at 11 a.m. The workshop is titled Learning Series: Learn How to Study and Manage Your Time and attendees will learn the best strategies for studying based on their individual learning styles as well as prioritizing and the dos and don’ts of studying.

While the workshop is free, Reid asks attendees register in advance so she can ensure adequate room for the numbers. You can register by contacting Sarah Reid at sarah@carpvillagetutoring.com.

“We want to reach out to local students and make sure they have the tools to maximize their potential,” Reid said.

For more information on Carp Village Tutoring, click here.