1:1 Math & Literacy Tutoring Highlight & Best of All Moment!

Literacy

The GiGi’s Playhouse 1:1 Literacy Tutoring Program uses a methodology with documented success based on research by professionals in the field. The ability to read opens doors for individuals with Down syndrome in the workplace, schools and the community.  Developing reading skills also leads to improvements in speech and language development, auditory perceptual skills and working memory function.  Our goal is to foster a love for reading and provide an opportunity to develop and master skills, all while building a positive relationship with our volunteer tutors.  Trained tutors work at the level of the individual, continually challenging and encouraging him/her to reach their Best of All. 

Benefits 

• Increased confidence and self-esteem 
• Greater independence and autonomy 
• More active role in schools and community 
• Broader communication and speech abilities 
• Greater social interaction and friendships  

Books and tutoring resources are customized to each student’s interest and abilities and are built based on the ways in which individuals with Down syndrome learn best. We begin at a student’s current ability and build from that point.  Purposeful progressions lead to an increase of skills and self-confidence. Literacy materials are available to take home for reinforcement and practice in between lessons. 

Math

Building math skills for individuals with Down syndrome increases independence in their school, in the community, and in the workplace.  The aim of this program is to help promote a positive experience of learning mathematics with a sound foundation of basic number understanding.  

Our program is built based on the ways in which individuals with Down syndrome learn best.  Knowing that our participants vary greatly in their abilities and challenges in comprehensive math, we combine multiple approaches that utilize multi-sensory teaching. Graduated levels of purposeful progressions lead to an increase of skills and self-confidence. These methods are aligned with topics taught in the classroom, to provide a comprehensive and cohesive program. 

Benefits 

• Increase a range of math skills from number recognition and patterns, to knowledge of addition and subtraction, to money and telling time, to fractions and algebra 
• Increase self-esteem and confidence 
• Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills 
• Greater independence and autonomy
• Enhanced fine motor development 

The Principles of our GiGi’s Literacy & Math Tutoring Program are to: 

• Teach using materials that are meaningful and relevant to the student to maximize interest. 
• Teach with a multi-sensory approach to build confidence and reinforce learning.
• Teach students to  practice,  transfer  and  generalize  newly learned skills.  
• Teach students to comprehend and use information gained from reading to apply to their real-world experiences. 
• We teach students to apply math skills in their real-world experiences. 

Best of All: Emilee!

Our friend, Emilee, is in the middle of her first literacy tutoring session at the Playhouse, and is showing us her ‘Best of All’ with each tutoring session! Emilee has a special interest in singing and acting. Her tutor, Abigail, is forming their literacy lessons around these special interest! They start off their sessions by reading and signing the the ‘Star-Spangled Banner‘. One day, Emilee would like to sing the Star-Spangled Banner to open an event, so it is important for her to know the lyrics! Emilee has gained confidence now that she has learned the lyrics to this difficult song, and she confidently sings it out! For her literacy summer project, Emilee will be creating her own play of the wonderful movie, ‘The Little Mermaid’. She has casted the parts, and is working on creating the script! She will preform and direct it in her final week of tutoring! We are so proud of how Emilee has gained confidence and is coming out of her shell!