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Award-Winning 8th Grade Literature Tutors

Certified Tutor
8+ years
Jane
I am a current student at Princeton University, obtaining a major in English with minors in Environmental Studies and Musical Theater. I graduated from Sewickley Academy in 2016 as a member of the Cum Laude Society with highest honors for all semesters. I am an AP Scholar with Honors, an Academic Al...
Princeton University
Current Undergrad Student, English

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Anna
With each of my experiences working with children my passion for education has grown. I first came to Austin to work with a Spanish literacy intervention program through Americorps called A Community for Education (ACE). After my service with ACE I taught at a dual language (Spanish-English) school ...
Oberlin College
Bachelors, Comparative American Studies
The University of Texas at Austin
Current Grad Student, Communication Sciences and Disorders

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Deborah
My MA in English with a concentration in Rhetoric and Composition, together with my MA in Adult Education and Continuing Education, qualified me to have a stellar forty-three-year career as a full-time college professor predominately in the University System of Georgia. I have successfully instructe...
Georgia State University
Master of Arts, English
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Master of Arts, Adult and Continuing Education
University of Georgia
Bachelor in Arts, Political Science and Government

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Hi. I love math and I love teaching math. I am a state certified high school math teacher. I have 31 years of classroom experience. I currently teach Pre-Calculus and AP Statistics.
Clark Atlanta University
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics

Certified Tutor
Katherine
Hi, my name is Katherine and I've been tutoring in various capacities since 2012. Although I'm currently studying Computer Science at Swarthmore College, I have expertise in a number of subject areas and I'd love to help you out.
Swarthmore College
Current Undergrad Student, Computer Science

Certified Tutor
4+ years
Samantha
I believe every student has a unique learning skill set and every teacher continues to learn from her students. To ensure every student receives the best tutoring, I strive to offer excellent communication and a diverse set of teaching skills.I obtained my Bachelor in Business Administration from th...
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Bachelor in Business Administration, International Business/French
Vermont Law School
Juris Doctor, International Law

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Christopher
I am a current student at Rutgers University on track to major in Electrical Engineering. I tutor a wide range of math from elementary level up to high school and college. This range includes algebra, trigonometry, pre-calc and calculus. I have had many experiences through my high school and outside...
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical Engineering

Certified Tutor
Jerry
Hey, I enjoy teaching math, computer science, and the SAT! Contact me if you are interested in these.
The Texas A&M University System Office
Bachelor in Arts, Political Science and Government

Certified Tutor
8+ years
Amy
I have a B.A. in French and a diploma in Business French from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris. I also speak Greek, Italian, and Spanish.I have worked as a private tutor in the area of foreign languages, essay writing, and a variety of other subjects for more than a decade. In that time...
Hofstra
Bachelor in Arts, French

Certified Tutor
8+ years
Gabrielle
I am recent graduate of Binghamton University, with a Bachelor of Sciences in Biology. I am deeply committed to the value of education, and believe that learning is a gift and an opportunity for growth that should be available to everyone. For this reason, I am passionate about tutoring and helping ...
SUNY at Binghamton
Bachelor in Arts, Biology, General
Top 20 English Subjects
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Julie
Languages Tutor • +4 Subjects
I am a graduate of LaSalle University in Mexico City. I received my Bachelor of Science degree inBusiness Administration with a focus on management. I am also a certifiedteacher of Spanish. Since graduation I have worked in Human Resources and I havealso been tutoring children and adults in private and public schools, as wellas online. I am very enthusiastic about teaching my native language because Ifeel that in that way I am enriching my students' education and experiences inlearning aspects of another culture. One area where we seem to have the mostfun is prepping for exams and writing assignments. I am a firm proponent ofeducation, and as a tutor, my approach is based on each of my students'level of proficiency, their goals, and their learning pace. I focus on providinga pleasant and safe experience for my students. I prepare lesson plans that arecreative and introduce new topics in a fun way, spending enough time reviewingthe material. Afterwards, I allow students time to practice on their own. I encourage you to contact me to schedule so togetherwe can start achieving your goals
Anna
ACT Writing Tutor • +27 Subjects
I honestly love tutoring. While working in finance and publishing over the past decade, I have independently tutored students from many premiere NY and NJ high schools and universities. I continued tutoring even after joining a major private equity firm because of how much I enjoy working one-on-one with students. Breaking down seemingly complex subjects is one of my favorite pastimes--it's part of the reason I also enjoy writing about arcane financial topics like quanto spreads on sovereign CDS. I've also developed a newfound respect for the challenges students face when undergoing years of testing after developing my own study plan to pass the first two CFA exams (I'm taking the third exam in June). This experience has shaped how I work with students to tackle test-taking anxiety and master difficult material quickly.I have both a BA and MA in English from New York University.
Catherine
Algebra Tutor • +15 Subjects
Hello! My name is Catherine Raj and I am a second-year medical student at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience in 2022. Since 2015, I have tutored children from ages 3-16 in areas of math and reading, as well as their school curriculum. Apart from tutoring here, I have worked for the Kumon Learning Center as a teaching instructor for 5 years. While I am certified to tutor a broad range of subjects, I have years of experience with tutoring young children in math and reading, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, phonics, reading comprehension, and much more. I connect with elementary and middle school students very well, as I believe in understanding children in order to give them a fulfilling tutoring experience. I also very much enjoy tutoring pre-algebra and algebra as those are my favorite math subjects, as well as my best! My students and I have always had a deeper level of understanding beyond the books and I pride my style of teaching on that aspect.
Grace
ACCUPLACER Arithmetic Tutor • +22 Subjects
I am a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education (3.95 GPA) and New York University (3.98 GPA). I have worked with students of all ages. I love adapting my teaching style to the individual needs of each student to help them fulfill their greatest potentials.
Sarah
Elementary School Math Tutor • +20 Subjects
I have been a special education teacher in Somerset County for the last 5 years. I have worked in self-contained classrooms and am currently working as a 4th grade resource room Reading and Math teacher. Next spring, I will graduate from Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education with an Ed.M in Reading Education. I will be a certified Reading Specialist as well as a certified supervisor. I am currently a certified Literacy Specialist.
Chester
Creative Writing Tutor • +18 Subjects
I love English, and good writing. Since I like working one-or-one or with a small group, tutoring is a great way for me to help young people communicate more effectively in writing. As a social scientist, I also like to talking about statistics and social science. I like to teach by example and ask lots of questions so students can discover answers themselves. When not working, I like to watch movies, exercise, and write science fiction.
Maria
ACT Prep Tutor • +15 Subjects
I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Denison University. I am currently pursuing an M.D. at Case Western Reserve University. I've been a college-level teaching assistant for both introductory biology and general chemistry. Besides chemistry, I really enjoy tutoring for test prep (ACT and MCAT) because I view these types of tests to be a collection of puzzles to solve. It's a lot of fun helping students to figure out the logic behind these puzzles and apply it broadly, and it's incredibly rewarding to see this integration of knowledge translate to a high score. When working with students, I like to challenge them to identify the purpose of the problem or question and what underlying reasoning can be applied broadly in future questions. In doing so, students gain more long-term usable skills and the ability to think independently.
Juliet
Adult Literacy Tutor • +12 Subjects
Passionate social justice advocate eager to serve as a mentor to the youth. Sociologist at heart. I am the rose that grew from the concrete.
Theo
ACT Prep Tutor • +25 Subjects
I am a current undergraduate student at Columbia University in New York City, pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in History and Economics. These are two of the subjects that I enjoy tutoring the most, but I also have a penchant for tutoring and learning about math and literature. I am passionate about tutoring because I benefited from the personalized guidance of great tutors in my past and I really enjoy seeing students push themselves and develop an appreciation for subject areas or even the mental exercise of test-taking thanks to tutoring. I also believe that tutoring a subject area is the greatest way to maintain and develop understanding of its material for both the student and the tutor. I was an active tutor in high school in mathematics and history and as I take more classes in college, I look forward to tutoring students in those in which I understood the material really well. In my spare time, I enjoy reading about history, camping, biking, and traveling when I can (or exploring the incredible city of New York)!
Qin
Conversational Mandarin Tutor • +14 Subjects
Living in Great New York Area since 2008. Graduate student at Columbia University.Major in Finance + Economics (Undergraduate Program), and Public Administration (Graduate Program), Average GPA is 3.65.Speak Mandarin, English and Japanese.Subjects cover East Asian History (China & Japan), International Relation, Public sector (NPO related).
Top 20 Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Many 8th graders find it challenging to move beyond plot summary and develop deeper analysis of literary elements like symbolism, tone, and character motivation. They often struggle to support interpretations with specific textual evidence and understand how authors use devices like foreshadowing or imagery to create meaning. A tutor can help students learn to ask analytical questions about texts—like "Why did the author choose this word?" or "What does this symbol represent?"—and build the habit of citing specific passages to back up their claims rather than making general statements about a book.
8th grade essays often suffer from weak thesis statements that are too vague or simply restate the prompt. Tutors work with students to craft specific, arguable thesis statements that preview their main points, then help them organize body paragraphs so each one supports a single aspect of that thesis. Through guided practice and personalized feedback, students learn the difference between a topic sentence and a thesis, how to structure evidence and analysis in each paragraph, and how to revise for clarity and coherence—skills that directly strengthen their writing across all assignments.
Close reading means carefully examining specific words, phrases, and sentences to understand how an author creates meaning—noticing things like word choice, repetition, or sentence structure that casual reading often misses. In 8th grade, students are expected to move from just understanding what happens in a story to analyzing how and why it happens. Tutors teach close reading strategies like annotating text, asking questions about word choice, and tracking patterns across a passage, which helps students find the specific evidence they need to support their literary analysis rather than relying on vague generalizations.
Many 8th graders describe characters as simply "good" or "bad" without exploring the complexity of motivation, internal conflict, or how characters change. Tutors help students ask deeper questions: What does this character want? What obstacles stand in their way? How do their choices reveal their values? By analyzing specific scenes where characters make decisions and examining dialogue and internal thoughts, students learn to see characters as complex people with believable motivations. This approach also helps them understand how character development drives plot and theme, making their literary analysis more sophisticated and insightful.
Writer's block often stems from trying to write a perfect essay on the first attempt. Tutors break the writing process into manageable steps: brainstorming ideas, creating an outline, drafting without worrying about perfection, and then revising for clarity and evidence. They teach students to separate drafting from editing—getting ideas down first, then improving organization and adding textual support in revision. With personalized feedback on their actual writing, students see exactly where their analysis needs strengthening or where they've summarized instead of analyzed, making revision feel purposeful rather than overwhelming.
8th graders often think grammar rules and writing voice are separate concerns, but they're connected—strong voice comes from making deliberate word choices and sentence structures. Tutors help students understand that varying sentence length, choosing precise verbs, and using active voice (when appropriate) all contribute to clearer, more engaging writing. Rather than focusing only on correcting errors, personalized instruction helps students see grammar as a tool for expressing their ideas more effectively. This approach keeps students from writing stiffly to "follow the rules" while still building the conventions skills they need for academic writing.
Theme is abstract, so many 8th graders either miss it entirely or confuse it with the plot. Tutors teach students to look for patterns—repeated ideas, symbols, or conflicts—that point to what the author is exploring. For example, in a story about a character overcoming fear, the tutor might ask: "What does the character learn?" "What message is the author sending?" "How do other characters or events support this idea?" By connecting specific scenes and character choices to larger ideas, students develop the analytical thinking needed to move beyond surface-level plot summary and understand what a text means, not just what happens in it.
Many 8th graders treat citations as a box to check rather than understanding why they matter—acknowledging sources and supporting claims with evidence. Tutors teach the mechanics of MLA format (in-text citations, Works Cited entries) while also showing students how to integrate quotes naturally into their writing. This means teaching them to introduce quotes with context, choose the most relevant passages, and explain how the evidence supports their point—not just dropping in a quote and moving on. With guided practice and feedback on their actual essays, students learn that proper citation isn't busywork; it's how writers build credibility and show their thinking process.
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