Elementary Reading & Writing Tutor

Thrive Education Partners is seeking a highly experienced educator to provide individualized, one-on-one academic support for an intellectually gifted elementary-aged student. He is bright, highly verbal, and curious, and he is eager to learn when he feels connected to the material. He has ADHD and autism-spectrum traits, and his primary challenges are handwriting, fine-motor endurance, written expression, task initiation, and confidence.

The central goal of this role is to strengthen his academic skills while building his confidence and keeping his relationship with learning a positive one. Much of the work happens where his ideas need to become written words. He often has far more to say than he puts on paper, so the tutor will help him build the handwriting skill, fine-motor endurance, and work habits that let his writing reflect what he knows, and will help him expand brief responses into fuller, more developed ideas.

A certified Reading Specialist is strongly preferred, and candidates with advanced training in reading, literacy, special education, or a related field will also be considered. The right person combines deep expertise in reading and writing instruction with a warm, patient approach and real experience supporting students with ADHD and autism-spectrum learners.

• Provide individualized 1:1 instruction in handwriting, written expression, and writing fluency.
• Support handwriting and fine-motor development, building endurance over time.
• Help him elaborate on his ideas and expand brief responses into more complete writing.
• Build writing fluency and stamina at a pace that keeps him successful.
• Support task initiation and executive functioning skills so that getting started becomes easier.
• Reduce writing avoidance by making tasks manageable and reinforcing effort.
• Use creative, engaging strategies, including positive reinforcement, gamification, and technology-based learning.
• Adapt instruction to his needs and emotional state from session to session.
• Help him build confidence and independence as a learner.
• Communicate regularly with his parents about progress and strategies that are working.

At Thrive, we believe that a gifted student who finds writing difficult is best served by instruction that addresses the specific barriers in the way, rather than by simply assigning more practice. Our tutors work to understand where the difficulty actually lies, whether in letter formation, hand fatigue, organizing ideas, or getting started, and then build a plan that targets those points while giving the student regular opportunities to show what he can do.

For this role, that means instruction that is structured enough to build skill and endurance steadily and flexible enough to meet him where he is on a given day. Building his confidence is as much a part of the work as building his skills, and the tutor we hire will treat both as goals worth planning for.

• Holds Reading Specialist certification (strongly preferred), or has a master’s degree or advanced training in reading, literacy, special education, or a related field.
• Has at least three years of experience working with elementary-aged students.
• Has supported students with ADHD and/or autism-spectrum traits.
• Brings demonstrated expertise in reading, writing, and written expression.
• Has experience with handwriting and fine-motor development.
• Has experience providing individualized, 1:1 instruction.
• Understands executive functioning and task initiation challenges.
• Uses creative, engaging, and motivating strategies, including positive reinforcement, gamification, and technology-based learning.
• Brings a warm, patient, encouraging approach and adapts instruction to the student’s needs and emotional…