Testimonials for the Beginning to Read Program:
"As an educator at (name of school), I have seen a variety of tutors and tutoring methods, and I can honestly say that Gail is fantastic. The amount of progress and growth (name of student) has shown in the last few months has been nothing less than incredible. He has gone from a non-reader to a boy that can read blends and words like "suddenly, clumsy, and square." From the moment I first spoke with Gail on the phone, I knew she was a perfect fit for us. She did not sugar coat anything and was honest about what we would have to do to help (name of student) find success. She gave us a timeline and shared her philosophy and tutoring methods. Gail has given us tools that we use every day...private school parent & educator who would like their name attached. I elected to eliminate the parent's name.
"... (name of student) took the first steps toward reading quickly and enthusiastically. She couldn't wait to play the reading games at home." Parent of a five-year old
"...You have empowered her with the skills to become a proficient reader, ready to face the first grade of school." Parent of a private school child
"Mrs. Hawkins is the most outstanding tutor I have ever encountered in my career as a student, teacher and counselor. Several times she changed her method of teaching to another that was of more benefit to (name of student). " Mother of an adopted son and an instructor of student teachers in a University.
"We were fortunate to have had Mrs. Hawkins as a tutor for our daughter. (Name of student) learned 28 sounds and reviewed 6 sounds in 9 lessons. You approach gave (name of student) confidence and a feeling of success. (Name of student) was always eager for each session." Parent of a six-year old
"Our daughter, who was in kindergarten, took ten sessions with Mrs. Hawkins because she was very eager to start reading and because we wanted to see if she might have a reading problem like her brother. This wasn't the case, and (name of student) took the first steps toward reading quickly and enthusiastically. She regarded each session as a treat and couldn't wait to play the reading games at home with her brother and me. Parent with two children enrolled in tutoring
"Mrs. Hawkins did diagnostic testing on our kindergarten child. She pinpointed exact weak areas to individualize his Beginning-To-Read program of nine sessions. His classroom teacher discouraged us from doing private tutoring. She felt he was making progress within normal boundaries. We discovered he has a mild case of dyslexia. I am relieved that I listened to my 'inner voice' and hired her to investigate my concerns. Progress has been a joyful experience to observe." Parent of two children enrolled in tutoring
"I would have never put our second son to the challenge if we did now know you. When I realized you had Kindergarten reading sessions, I thought it would be amazing if our five-year old could read. He could read after only nine sessions! We want to share our gratitude for the time, effort and skill you have put toward our sons. You really know what you are doing and it truly is your gift. Also, your dedication and professionalism show how much you care and how well you do what you do." --parent of two Honolulu students in tutoring
"We were stunned when our Kindergarten child started reading at your first tutorial. She couldn't read even simple words like "bat" or "fat" before the initial meeting. You explained that our child had the basics and just needed help putting sound units together. You worked "the magic" with some specialized methods. Three days later our child was reading her first story, without any picture clues to help her guess at the words. The two best friends were already reading. Our child felt uncomfortable because the printed word didn't make sense to her. We initially thought that it might be a little early for the lessons. Initiating tutorials early in the Kindergarten year was our BEST decision! You unlocked the door to reading. Within a week we were listening to her joyfully read early in the morning and before she went to sleep at night." --parents of a five-year old
"Our son was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 6.5 years. When our son started tutoring, he was a non-reader and his self-confidence was extremely low. Being an intelligent person, he recognized he couldn't do what the other children in his class could do and started acting out at school. In just a few weeks into tutoring his self-confidence was building again. Most importantly, our son loved going to tutoring. Because of Gail Hawkins' tutoring, our son became a happy reader who seeks out opportunities to read both on his own and to an audience. At school, he is an eager learner and homework is no longer a struggle". --Parent of a Kindergarten dyslexic in a private school