Award-Winning Adult Reading and Writing
Tutors
Award-Winning
Adult Reading and Writing
Tutors
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

I'm a certified K-4 educator with five years of classroom experience in Philadelphia public and charter schools, and I hold a LETRS certification in structured literacy. I currently teach kindergarten and coach literacy tutors across multiple schools, so I know both what good instruction looks like and how to explain it clearly to someone who's still learning. I specialize in early literacy and foundational skills, but I'm equally comfortable supporting elementary students across subjects. My approach is warm and high-expectation: I build genuine relationships with kids while holding them to real standards. I've worked with students across a wide range of needs, including emergent readers and multilingual learners. I tutor privately and love the one-on-one format. It's where I get to be most responsive to what a specific kid actually needs.

A Yale history of science degree and a Fulbright-funded Master of Public Health mean Alana has spent years reading dense, complex texts and distilling them into clear written arguments — exactly the skill set adult learners need when tackling everything from workplace emails to application essays. She treats each session's material as the learner's own real documents and goals, whether that's parsing a benefits handbook or drafting a personal statement for a career change.
I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all subjects, I take a creative, inquiry-based and learner-centered approach, designing opportunities for each unique individual to meet their learning goals.
I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.
I am a recent graduate from a masters program in biostatistics at Columbia University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences, with a focus in neurobiology at Northwestern University. In August, I will be starting a doctoral program in biostatistics at NYU. I was a teaching assistant at Columbia University in my department and also have tutored graduate students and undergraduates privately as well. My primary areas of tutoring are math and statistics coursework in addition to math sections on standardized tests such as the GRE and GMAT. I am very passionate about helping students feel more confident and excited about math. In my spare time, I enjoy running, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.
I am a graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults towards passing the US Citizenship Exam and taught English in India, where I lived for six months. Whenever I work with a student I personalize the lessons to fit their particular learning style, since I know every student is unique and having the right fit can make all the difference in making learning fun and effective. My strengths are tutoring the social sciences and humanities, as well as making math and standardized tests approachable to students that normally don't like those subjects. In my spare time I like traveling, spending time in the outdoors (climbing & backpacking), meditation, and playing soccer. Next fall I will be beginning my PhD in Education at Harvard University.
I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College and am about to declare as a Mechanical Engineering concentrator, working towards a Bachelor of Science degree. I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with my peers and those around me and have done so in both formal and informal settings. I've been a tutor for both Math and Spanish programs in high school and enjoyed the strides I made with students. I am willing to tutor any subject I have a background in, but am strong in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish, history, writing, and ACT prep. I enjoy teaching mathematics most due to the joy I can see in children once they master a topic and can answer even pointed questions meant to stump them, and maybe even put their knowledge to real world use. As a tutor, I like to give a strong foundation to orient my student, and then gradually grant them more freedom and independence until they can feel themselves grasp the concept, pointing out pitfalls or common errors along the way; teachers who used these methods on me always left the most lasting impressions. Outside of my studies, I really enjoy listening to music, both old favorites and new interests, reading classics, and gaming/playing basketball with my friends.
I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.
I'm Solange - a recent graduate from Harvard where I studied Sociology & Women's Studies. I've been tutoring for eight years now, and have worked with a wide range of ages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of my specialties are college prep/test taking II worked in the admissions office on campus); social sciences; and literature/writing.
I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals!
I am a graduate of Washington University in St Louis, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Humanities and Anthropology. Since graduation, I have worked as a tutor, teacher, and director of tutors at a charter public middle school in Boston. During this time I also received my Masters in Mild to Moderate Disabilities from Simmons College. I have worked extensively with students with a range of abilities, including students with specific learning disabilities, emotional impairments, dyslexia, and ADHD. My teaching experience has given me a deep understanding of the knowledge and habits essential to academic success and has given me the opportunity to hone a variety of strategies that ensure students at each level can achieve their academic goals. While I tutor a broad range of subjects, my favorite ones are Reading, Elementary/Middle School Math, History, and Test Prep. In my experience, tutoring is the most rewarding when a student has that "aha!" moment and achieves a new level of understanding and confidence in his/her abilities. I am a firm believer in the transformative power of education, and I see my role to be that of a facilitator and coach who is there to help the student reach his/her goals through individualized support and rigorous practice. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, practicing my Spanish, and discovering new music. I am also an avid traveler and just got back from a 3 month trip to South America. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
I am an aspiring applied mathematician, with particular interest in image processing and climate science. I graduated in May 2017 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, and am beginning a PhD program in September 2017 at the University of Chicago in Computational and Applied Mathematics. I've tutored introductory physics students for three years and enjoyed it thoroughly, as a chance to help other students while revisiting fundamental concepts to enhance my own knowledge. I'm eager to continue reaching out and helping students of math and physics to succeed and, furthermore, to appreciate the beauty and power of these subjects.
Testimonials
Because the right Adult Reading and Writing tutor makes all the difference.
Average Session Rating – Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
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Frequently Asked Questions
Adult readers often benefit from active reading techniques like annotation, summarization, and questioning the text as they read. A tutor can teach you to identify main ideas versus supporting details, recognize author bias and tone, and connect new material to prior knowledge—all of which significantly improve comprehension and long-term retention. Many adults also find that adjusting reading pace based on text complexity and purpose (skimming for overview versus close reading for analysis) makes a measurable difference in understanding.
Strong essays start with a clear thesis statement that previews your main argument, followed by body paragraphs that each support one point with evidence and analysis. Many adults struggle with logical flow between ideas—a tutor can help you create outlines, develop topic sentences that connect to your thesis, and use transitions that guide readers through your argument. Personalized feedback on your drafts reveals exactly where readers lose the thread, so you can revise with precision rather than guessing what needs fixing.
Writer's block often stems from perfectionism, unclear thinking, or fear of judgment—not lack of ability. A tutor can help you freewrite without editing, break large writing projects into smaller, manageable chunks, and clarify your ideas through conversation before you write. They can also teach you to separate drafting from revising, so you give yourself permission to write badly at first and improve later—a shift that unblocks many adult writers who've been taught to get it right the first time.
Different disciplines prefer different styles: MLA for humanities, APA for social sciences and psychology, and Chicago style for history and some humanities. A tutor can teach you the core principles behind each style so you understand why citations matter and how to apply them consistently, rather than memorizing arbitrary rules. They'll also show you how to avoid common mistakes like improper in-text citations, incorrect works cited formatting, and plagiarism—ensuring your academic integrity is clear and your sources are properly credited.
Summary tells what happened; analysis explains how and why the author created meaning through specific techniques like symbolism, imagery, tone, and character development. Many adults default to plot summary when asked to analyze, missing the deeper work of examining word choice, narrative structure, and thematic patterns. A tutor can guide you to move beyond "the character felt sad" to "the author uses short, fragmented sentences to convey the character's emotional breakdown," teaching you to support interpretations with textual evidence and develop insights that show critical thinking.
Voice emerges from consistent choices about sentence structure, word selection, tone, and perspective—and many adults suppress their voice by trying to sound "formal" or academic. A tutor helps you recognize patterns in how you naturally communicate, then teaches you to strengthen those patterns while maintaining clarity and appropriateness for your audience and purpose. Through revision work and feedback on your actual writing, you'll learn which stylistic choices feel authentic to you and which ones serve your message, building confidence in your unique voice rather than imitating generic "good writing."
Adults often face time constraints, rusty academic reading skills, and difficulty adjusting to dense or unfamiliar texts after years away from formal study. Many also struggle with confidence—doubting whether they can handle college-level material or comparing themselves to younger students. A tutor can help you build stamina for longer texts, teach you to preview material and set reading goals, and address specific comprehension gaps in areas like technical writing, academic journal articles, or classic literature. Personalized strategies make reading feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
Self-editing is limited because you're too close to your own work—you know what you meant to say, so you often don't see unclear passages, weak arguments, or missing evidence that a reader would catch immediately. A tutor provides objective feedback on what's actually on the page, not what's in your head, and explains specifically why something isn't working and how to fix it. This targeted feedback accelerates improvement far more than generic grammar checking, because you're learning to revise strategically based on real reader response rather than applying random edits.
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