Provide one-on-one tutoring for students with learning challenges (dyslexia, autism, ADHD, etc.)December 20, 2010
To Whom it May Concern,
We feel incredibly fortunate to have found Patrick Renker of San Diego Reading Pathways. Up until recently, making any academic progress with our son has been such a long and difficult road that we wanted to share our story with others. People should know there is hope.
We first realized our son was having difficulty with school work in the first month of first grade. Twenty minutes of homework took him hours to complete. Additionally, reading was simply impossible. It seemed he did not see all of the letters in a word and inserted letters that were not there into words. He also inserted words into sentences and frequently skipped over other words, sentences, and/or lines altogether. Further, he did not seem to be able to transition from the sounds of the letters in the word to the actual word. As a result, school was not going well.
Through the rest of first, second and third grade, we tried everything. We went to centers that specialized in kids with learning disabilities, psychologists, vision therapists, etc. The testing was endless. The testing all agreed that while our son was intelligent, there was a processing issue that made learning academic basics very difficult.
We started using Patrick Renker as a tutor in May of 2010 and continued through that summer. At that time, we were looking at sending him to a very specialized school. By the end of the summer, our son had made so much progress that we decided “what was working should not be fixed”. As a result, we abandoned the specialty school and continued to use Patrick.
Patrick has a tremendous amount of patience and an understanding of this type of learner. Patrick continued to assure us that our son would read. Patrick used creative ways to engage our son’s interest. He worked ceaselessly with our son and his persistence has paid off. Today our son is reading near or at grade level. We are now seeking Patrick’s help with writing, spelling, and math.
We are a family with a “work at home” dad, a “stay at home” mom, and three home schooled kids. Patrick has been flexible in working around our busy lifestyle. He has been an exceptionally courteous and respectful tutor. He has jumped in and become part of the family. We all look forward to Patrick’s visits, even the dog!
Sincerely,
Lisa and Travis
“I have dyslexia and I have struggled with reading and writing my whole life. After working with Patrick for a few months, I have greatly noticed a difference. My grades have improved and I’m starting to enjoy books. Just the other day I was reading my Physics textbook and it struck me how much more I was getting out of it. I would recommend Patrick to other adult students like myself who have struggled with aspects of reading and writing and need help”
–Travis Mitchell (28 year old college student)
San Diego Reading Pathways was founded by Patrick Renker in 2010. After grad
uating from the University of California, Berkeley in 2001 with a degree in English Literature, Patrick began working with students with learning challenges at Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes in Menlo Park, California. After a few months working with students of various learning disabilities (dyslexia, hyperlexia, autism, ADHD, etc.), he decided to dedicate his life to improving the academic lives of children. In 2010, Patrick left Lindamood-Bell and formed San Diego Reading Pathways in order to offer more flexible, affordable, and personalized services to students and parents.
Phone: 619-519-1243
Email: patrickrenker@gmail.com
Welcome to San Diego Reading Pathways. As the founder of San Diego Reading Pathways, my goal is to help struggling students of all ages reach their potential and improve their academic performance through intensive, one-on-one instruction. Along with making one-on-one instruction convenient and affordable, my goal is to create a highly productive, positive, and fun experience for students.
Overview of Services
San Diego Reading Pathways primarily uses reading, comprehension and math programs developed by Lindamood-Bell.® These programs develop the underlying sensory-cognitive abilities that students with learning problems must have to succeed. Rather than follow a school curriculum, these programs are tailored to each individual student and develop foundational skills before transitioning to school work. San Diego Reading Pathways works with students who have mild-to-severe reading, math and/or comprehension weaknesses, dyslexia, hyperlexia, difficulty following directions, poor oral and written language ability, autism spectrum disorders, et al.
In addition, San Diego Reading Pathways offers support for students who do not need intensive intervention or who have already made significant progress. For instance, students often need extra assistance developing writing skills (including grammar help), organizational skills, test-taking strategies, or support navigating homeschool curricula.
Instruction is one-on-one, structured, individualized, and fun! Sessions range from one hour to six hours at a time and take place once a week, every day, or somewhere in between. I offer free consultations to discuss scheduling, short and long-term goals, pricing, etc. An initial evaluation of a student’s processing is usually necessary for pacing the student through the program(s) and to gauge progress in the future.
Sincerely,
Patrick Renker
Educational Consultant/Instructor
619-519-1243 (mobile)
patrickrenker@gmail.com
www.sdreadingpathways.com
