STORIES — Spelling success

Marie, English, UK: I tutor mainly students with learning disabilities. Last year, in preparation for SATs, I was asked to tutor a student who was struggling with spelling about 6 weeks before the exams. She would get 5, at most, out of 20 in any spelling test. After an honest conversation with her parents, I told them what they would need to do in the run up to her SATs, as well as giving her a plan and regular sessions over the last few weeks, she made a huge improvement. I recall being happy for her to hear she had achieved on target for English when she found out her SATs results. She was a sweet girl and I hope this experience helps her focus moving forward.