Best Practices:
Growing Minds, LLC offers research-based instruction. We use scaffolded instruction.
This model of instruction has been proven to meet the needs of all learners. First, we model the skill,
concept or standard being introduced. Next, we guide our students. Last, we allow our students to practice
and apply the skill, concept, or standard on their own. We also tailor our instruction so we are meeting the
needs of all learners. Additionally, we offer individualized and small group instruction.

Reading:
At Growing Minds, LLC we know the importance of reading for understanding. 
We focus on the five pillars of reading instruction, which include:

• Phonics
• Phonemic Awareness
• Vocabulary
• Fluency
• Reading Comprehension

Because reading comprehension is critical for increased student success, we ensure our students are equipped with the reading strategies that separate good readers from poor readers.  These strategies include:

• Phonics and Decoding
• Summarizing
• Making Predictions and Inferences
• Monitoring and Clarifying
• Evaluating
• Questioning

Our goal is to move students from learning to read to reading to learn.  We expose our students to a variety of genres, ensuring that we have a balance between fiction and non-fiction literature.

Writing
It is a known fact that some students learn to read first and some students learn to write first.  Nonetheless, the two go hand in hand.   It is the expectation of Growing Minds, LLC for our students to become proficient writers.  We expose our students to a variety of writing opportunities which include:

• Shared Writing
• Journaling
• Interactive Writing
• Process Writing
• Writing to a Prompt

Math:
Growing Minds, LLC wants our learners to reach math proficiency to be prepared for advanced math concepts.  Our students will become fluent in critical skills, math reasoning, conceptual understanding, and problem solving.  We provide them with the individualized instruction they need to master the math curriculum and to prepare them for Algebra and more advanced math concepts.  Our approach is research based and provides students with the opportunity to understand the math concepts by using hands-on instruction with manipulatives.  Some of these concepts include:

• Number Sense
• Fluency in Basic Math Facts
• Problem Solving
• Geometry
• Pre-Algebra
• Algebra

Skills:
Growing Minds, LLC prepares students for life-long learning.  We understand the importance of being prepared for learning.  We offer instruction and guidance in study skills, test-taking skills, organizational skills, prioritizing tasks, and time management.  We not only want our students to be successful with academics, but we want our students to be ready for the real world by preparing them for college and beyond. 
 
Mentoring:
Growing Minds, LLC believes that relationships are essential to a student's success. We not only want to be a partner in education, but we want to be a mentor. By building a safe learning environment, we promote self-confidence by boosting and maintaining the motivation of our students. Through mentoring and cooperative learning, we expect our students to set goals and become accountable for those goals through sharing with their tutors and/or cooperative learning groups.