The main student is a lovely young man. At 7½, he is already described by his teachers as “even-tempered and kind”. He is known to be a polite and co-operative member of his class, who is admired for his mature, outgoing and curious nature. He is “full of enthusiasm, humor and goodwill” and is known to be “an entertaining friend who gets along with everyone.” His mother describes him as a “happy, affectionate clever, quick, and engaging” boy who is a “complex thinker.” He can also be “fiery, impatient, and irritable,” and attempts “to have others do things for him,” which can make discipline challenging.

A recent Ed-Psych assessment has identified certain weakness in his reading fluency and spelling skills which seem to be having a knock-on effect on his schooling, reducing his self-confidence and impacting the speed at which he is able to work. He doesn’t display many other characteristics of dyslexia and it may be that a strategy such as moving to whole word recognition rather than phonics may be effective in helping him to overcome this relative deficit.

This is a long-term tutoring role starting in September 2018, supporting the two boys with their school work and working with the older boy to help him to unlock his true potential and enable him to access more complex texts with ease.

The Tutor should be familiar with the techniques employed to help dyslexic students master the written word and should have the flexibility and understanding to adapt their approach to find effective strategies. It is, however, not anticipated that the successful Tutor will be a specialist SEN teacher.

Alongside helping to tackle his reading issues, the Tutor should also provide the older boy with strategies to help improve his confidence and independence. They should lay the groundwork for successful self-study skills. He has a tendency to over-rely on any adult help in the classroom, and the Tutor should be careful not to encourage this dependency, aiming instead to give him the support needed to make a success of his academic career independently.

The successful candidate for this role will need to be upbeat and have plenty of energy. This role requires a resourceful, intelligent and knowledgeable Tutor who is relaxed and easy-going with a sunny disposition on the one hand whilst also being firm, encouraging and sensible. They should set a good example for the boys through their behavior and conduct. It is important that the Tutor remembers that, although the family and working environment may be relaxed compared to formal schooling, it is essential to remain professional at all times and respectful of the family’s privacy.

The Tutor should be eloquent, able to explain concepts simply and able to inspire with his or her enthusiasm for any given subject. He or she should have a wide knowledge base and a range of extra-curricular skills and interests that they can share with the family. The Tutor should be a natural communicator with a kind and caring disposition, and a firm-but-fair approach to their work.

The Tutor will be provided with a furnished apartment, suitable for a single person, near to the family home. All rent, utilities, and Internet on the Tutor’s accommodation will be arranged and paid for by the Client.

The Client is not responsible for the Tutor’s personal phone bills.

There will be occasional periods of travel, during which the Tutor will be reimbursed for any travel costs. The Tutor will also be reimbursed for all local public transportation.

No car will be provided, since the public transport in New York is very good.

The successful candidate will be able to offer more than the minimum requirements of this position and must have been raised in a socially appropriate background. He or she will not only be an excellent educator, but also a good role model: educated and polished, with excellent manners and personal values.

The Tutor should be fit and healthy, a non-smoker.

The Tutor must have permission to work in the USA. This is likely to mean that they will be a US national, or British, in which case Tutors International will be able to obtain a work visa.