Evidence-Based Private Teaching for K–6 Students
Helping Students Build Strong Foundations
At Fireflies Learning, I provide individualized private teaching for Kindergarten–Grade 6 students, with a specialized focus on literacy development.
Instruction is guided by assessment and designed around each student's current skills, strengths and areas for growth. Lessons are explicit, systematic and purposeful, helping students build skills step by step while developing confidence as learners
Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction
Building the skills that support successful reading and writing
Fireflies Learning uses principles of Structured Literacy and is informed by the Science of Reading and Orton-Gillingham Reading Instruction.
Literacy instruction is explicit and systematic, with skills introduced in a purposeful sequence and revisited through guided practice. Instruction is adjusted based on ongoing assessment so that students receive support at their current level.
Depending on a student's needs, literacy instruction may include:
Phonemic Awareness
Developing the ability to identify, blend, and segment the individual sounds in spoken words.
Phonics & Decoding
Learning how letters and letter patterns represent sounds and applying this knowledge to read unfamiliar words.
Reading Fluency
Developing accurate, automatic and increasingly expressive reading through structured practice. As students become more fluent and can read words more accurately and automatically, they can devote more of their attention to understanding, connecting and thinking about what they read. Strong reading fluency therefore plays an important role in supporting reading comprehension.
Vocabulary, Background Knowledge & Comprehension
Strong reading comprehension depends on more than being able to read the words on a page. Students need a growing vocabulary, language knowledge and background knowledge to make sense of what they read. Instruction intentionally builds knowledge connected to students' learning and interests, including topics they are exploring at school. Students read and discuss carefully selected texts to develop vocabulary, strengthen background knowledge and make connections that support deeper understanding and comprehension.
Spelling
Learning how sounds, spelling patterns and meaningful word parts work together to spell words accurately. Rather than relying primarily on rote memorization, students are explicitly taught the patterns and structures within words so they can apply their knowledge to spell both familiar and unfamiliar words. In
Morphology
Exploring prefixes, suffixes, bases and meaningful word parts to support spelling, vocabulary and reading.
Writing & Sentence Structure
Developing sentence construction, organization and written expression through explicit instruction and guided practice.
High-Frequency Words
Building automatic recognition and accurate spelling of commonly used words while connecting them to phonics and word patterns whenever appropriate.
Private Teaching Programs
Fireflies Learning offers individualized programs designed to support students at different stages of their learning journey.
Early Literacy Foundations
For students developing the foundational skills needed for reading and spelling.
Instruction may include phonemic awareness, printing, phonics, high-frequency words, early spelling, fluency, comprehension and sentence writing.
Spelling, Writing & Morphology
For students developing stronger spelling, writing and word knowledge.
Instruction may include spelling patterns, morphology, word study, sentence structure, grammar and written expression.
Math
Individualized math instruction designed to strengthen conceptual understanding, mathematical fluency and problem-solving skills.
Instruction is based on each student's current understanding and connected to the Ontario curriculum.
Diagnostic Assessment & Progress Monitoring
Understand where your child is starting
Before developing an instructional plan, it is important to understand what a student already knows and what they are ready to learn next.
A diagnostic assessment provides information about your child's current skills, strengths and areas for growth.
Assessment information is used to:
Identify areas of strength
Identify skills that need further development
Determine appropriate instructional starting points
Establish learning priorities
Guide lesson planning
Monitor progress over time
The goal is not simply to identify what a student finds difficult. Assessment helps determine why a skill may be challenging and what instruction can help the student move forward.
Ongoing Progress Monitoring
Assessment continues throughout instruction.
Student progress is tracked at the end of each lesson using a Lesson Tracker, which records the skills taught, student performance and areas that may need additional practice or review. This provides an ongoing record of learning and helps guide the next steps in instruction.
Every 10th lesson, a more formal Progress Check-In is completed to review the student's growth, identify areas of continued need and determine whether instructional goals or priorities should be adjusted.
Progress monitoring helps ensure that instruction continues to respond to each student's development and provides families with a clearer picture of the skills their child is building and the progress they are making.
Why Choose Fireflies Learning?
Qualified Teaching Professional
Fireflies Learning is led by an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) with specialized training and experience in literacy and special education.
Evidence-Based Instruction
Lessons are informed by the Science of Reading, Structured Literacy principles and evidence-based teaching practices.
Individualized Instruction
Teaching is adapted to each student's current skills rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.
Assessment-Informed Teaching
Diagnostic assessment and ongoing progress monitoring help guide instructional decisions.
Focus on Skill Development
Students are taught the underlying skills they need to become more confident and independent learners.
Qualifications & Specialized Training
OCT • Postgraduate Degree in Primary Education • Reading Specialist • Special Education Specialist • Orton-Gillingham Training • FUNdations Training • ThinkSRSD Writing Training
My professional learning continues to develop my understanding of literacy instruction, structured teaching practices and effective support for students with diverse learning needs.
For Those Lightbulb Moments
I created Fireflies Learning because I believe that every student deserves evidence-based instruction that meets them where they are.
Learning can sometimes feel frustrating when a skill doesn't make sense right away. With the right instruction, purposeful practice and support, students can begin to make connections and experience those important “lightbulb moments.”
These moments are more than simply getting an answer right. They are the moments when a student begins to understand how and why something works.
My goal is to provide thoughtful, evidence-based private teaching that helps students build skills, recognize their progress and become more confident learners.
Who Can Benefit From Private Teaching?
Fireflies Learning primarily supports Kindergarten–Grade 6 students, while also working with older students who are performing below grade level and would benefit from targeted, individualized instruction.
Students may be working on:
Building foundational literacy skills
Developing phonemic awareness and phonics
Strengthening decoding and reading accuracy
Improving reading fluency
Developing vocabulary, background knowledge and comprehension
Strengthening spelling skills
Developing writing and sentence structure
Understanding morphology and word structure
Building math understanding and fluency
Reviewing or strengthening skills from the Ontario curriculum
Developing greater confidence and independence as learners
Instruction is individualized based on each student's current skills and learning goals.
Ready to Get Started?
Let's talk about your child's learning needs.
If you're interested in private teaching with Fireflies Learning, complete the Private Teaching Inquiry Form. I'll review the information you provide and contact you by email to arrange a 15-minute phone call to discuss your child's needs, recommended next steps and available teaching options.
Private Teaching in Oakville, Ontario • Virtual Lessons Available
