Testimonials
Patricia provided engaging and personalized support to both of my children.
My first grader was bored with math and seeking more challenging problems to solve and Patricia developed engaging enrichment lessons that helped him pursue his love of math.
At the same time, my fourth grader was a reluctant and struggling reader. Patricia helped us understand the root of her challenges and we were able to seek a psychoeducational evaluation which resulted in a much greater understanding of her strengths and weaknesses and strategies to support her.
Heather, mother of two
Patricia Saylor is AMAZING!!! THE BEST TUTOR EVER!! She worked with our son, Noah, for four and a half months to help him complete his senior year of high school. We will be forever grateful for her wealth of knowledge, dedication, encouragement, and kindness. Noah learned more English and math concepts and skills with Patricia than he did during the other 3+ years of high school.
Patricia quickly and accurately assessed Noah’s learning strengths and weaknesses/gaps beyond what two previous major psycho-educational testing reports had found, which resulted in a thoughtful and appropriate plan for ensuring Noah’s success. Patricia communicated with me frequently, sharing the most detailed and helpful reports about Noah’s learning and progress that I have ever seen, allowing us to all work together to support and encourage Noah.
And perhaps most importantly, Patricia constantly let Noah know that she completely believed in him and was there to help him be successful. She attended to Noah’s academic, cognitive, and emotional needs with endless patience and positivity, and the most impressive teaching skills. The result was a more capable and confident learner and young man. According to Noah, working with Patricia made him smarter, and it did in so many ways. We can’t say enough good things about Patricia, and know you will feel the same!
Sheryl Emch, Chapel Hill NC, June 2020
Patricia worked with both of my sons when they were learning to read. She was always crystal clear in her communications with us regarding their strengths and areas of growth, and was the first to identify a learning challenge faced by one of them that was later diagnosed and treated. If not for her, it likely would have taken several more years before it was identified by the schools. We are so grateful for the nurturing and encouraging environment of the Solterra Way Cottage School!
University Professor, Mother of 3
Patricia worked with my daughter (HS sophomore at the time) on math skills for four months. Simply put, Patricia is a tutor's tutor. She has a keen understanding of the process of learning and stays current with brain research on learning. Patricia has a wealth of relevant experience and a wide variety of materials and resources in her home that she uses to customize her tutoring to each student.
One aspect of Patricia's approach to tutoring that sets her apart is that she really gets that how a child thinks provides important information about what might be preventing learning. Related, she is very aware of how language deficits can hinder the learning process, and has very effective methods and resources for diagnosing and addressing this issue.
I greatly appreciated Patricia's focus on needing to hear my daughter think out loud before she could make an accurate assessment. To that end, Patricia really took the time to get to know my daughter as a learner, and that "getting to know you" process never stopped throughout the tutoring. It took a few sessions for Patricia to identify my daughter's specific challenges. Once she was able to pinpoint the issues, Patricia then did research and came up with a non-conventional teaching resource that addressed the issues spot on.
Patricia had an excellent rapport with my daughter. She was very aware of when my daughter reached a limit or needed a change of pace. She also created a homework binder so that the skills they worked on during tutoring could be effectively reinforced outside of the session.
Patricia provided thoughtful, insightful communication in writing after every session. Through keen observation, she was able to identify and help my daughter close foundational gaps that had been preventing conceptual understanding. It was clear that Patricia thought about my daughter outside of their tutoring sessions, and that she continually reflected on how my daughter processed information and what types of strategies were most effective.
With regard to logistics, Patricia was flexible and accommodating, and she replied to both email and texts promptly. It was very easy to work with her, and it was always a pleasure to communicate with her, as she was so clearly invested in my daughter's progress.
Patricia offered everything I was looking for in a tutor -- most of all, the desire, patience and ability to accurately assess my daughter's strengths and weaknesses, and to customize a program that effectively addressed her most pressing needs.
Mom to a (then) high school sophomore
July 2020