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Award-Winning 7th Grade Reading Tutors

Certified Tutor
Molly
The 7th grade reading load often introduces students to persuasive nonfiction and more ambiguous fiction for the first time, and many kids who were strong readers suddenly feel lost. Molly digs into the specific skills that trip students up at this level — identifying author's purpose, tracing how a...
Northwestern University
Master of Science in Education
Columbia University in the City of New York
Bachelor in Arts, History

Certified Tutor
Allan
Seventh graders start encountering texts that demand more than plot recall — they need to compare perspectives, evaluate an author's argument, and support claims with textual evidence. Allan walks students through these skills one passage at a time, building the kind of close-reading habits that car...
Northwestern University
Bachelors, Biological Sciences

Certified Tutor
Maddy
Reading comprehension in 7th grade isn't just about understanding the story — it's about starting to notice how a writer builds an argument or creates mood through specific word choices. Maddy teaches students to slow down and ask questions of the text: What's the author doing here, and why? Her Har...
Harvard University
B.A. in American History and Literature (minor in Theater)

Certified Tutor
Paula
At the seventh-grade level, reading comprehension questions start asking "how do you know?" instead of just "what happened?" — and that shift trips up a lot of capable kids. Paula walks students through the habit of pointing back to specific lines in a passage to justify their answers, a skill roote...
Vanderbilt University
Bachelor in Arts

Certified Tutor
Angela
By seventh grade, reading comprehension questions start requiring inference and analysis rather than simple recall, and that shift catches many students off guard. Angela tackles this by teaching close-reading habits — identifying tone shifts, distinguishing fact from opinion, and pulling evidence t...
University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Science, Psychology/International Relations

Certified Tutor
Hasan
At the seventh-grade level, reading shifts from simply understanding a story to interrogating it — asking why an author chose a particular structure, what a metaphor reveals, or how tone shapes meaning. Hasan designed and taught his own literature courses at a community center while studying Literar...
Brown University
B.A. in Literary Arts and Visual Arts

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Madeline
Seventh grade reading is where many students first encounter figurative language, complex character motivation, and multi-chapter novels that require sustained attention. Madeline's approach centers on teaching kids to ask their own questions as they read — a habit that builds comprehension far more...
Johns Hopkins University
Bachelors

Certified Tutor
Dakota
At the seventh-grade level, reading comprehension starts requiring students to support their answers with evidence and make inferences the text doesn't spell out. Dakota tackles this by teaching students a simple but effective annotation method — underlining key details, jotting margin notes — that ...
Vanderbilt University
Master's degree
Vanderbilt University
Bachelor in Arts

Certified Tutor
David
At the 7th grade level, reading comprehension starts demanding more than recall — students need to infer, synthesize across paragraphs, and explain how word choice creates tone. David approaches these skills through close reading exercises that give students a vocabulary for what they're noticing in...
CUNY Hunter College
Master of Arts, English Adolescent Education
Columbia University in the City of New York
Bachelor in Arts, English

Certified Tutor
Allen
Most seventh graders can tell you what a passage is about but struggle to explain how they know — identifying textual evidence, distinguishing fact from opinion, or tracing how a character changes over time. Allen teaches those specific skills by walking through passages methodically, asking the kin...
Vanderbilt University
Bachelor in Arts, Mathematics
Top 20 English Subjects
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Amy
Calculus Tutor • +46 Subjects
I am greatly passionate about (writing and literature), to help this student gain confidence in her learning abilities and get to a point where, instead of being discouraged, she could actually enjoy learning. I especially loved the moments when she reached a breakthrough in her understanding of a concept and was so happy that I had been able to use my knowledge to enhance her understanding and enjoyment of a topic. I tutored through out high school and continue to tutor in college as I help other students to realize their potential and achieve their goals. Hobbies: books, music, art, nature, reading, writing
Nima
12th Grade math Tutor • +98 Subjects
I am a rising college sophomore who will be attending Duke University on a full merit scholarship in the fall. I love to run cross country and play the viola, as well as tutoring students in a whole variety of subjects! Feel free to message me! Hobbies: writing, art, books, reading, music
Meagan
Elementary Math Tutor • +65 Subjects
I am a certified and experienced former middle-school teacher, with a particular passion for teaching reading and writing. I've also enjoyed teaching ESL and sharing my enthusiasm for learning Spanish. These experiences have included working with children from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Joanne
Calculus Tutor • +52 Subjects
I'm well-versed in teaching students with a wide range of skills and learning styles. I graduated with Honors from Santa Clara University where I received my Bachelor of Arts in English with a specialization in Teaching English. In May 2015, I will graduate with my Masters in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan. I am passionate about teaching students to become critical readers and writers who use their communication skills to reach their goals and connect with others. I have over seven years of tutoring experience and have tutored students in reading and writing from middle school to the graduate level.
Jessalyn
6th Grade math Tutor • +78 Subjects
I am “HQ” (Highly Qualified) certified to teach Social Studies for grades 7-12. I currently teach a sophomore level ethics class at St. Edwards University. I taught several classes at The University of Texas at Austin as a Doctoral Candidate, where I also earned my M.A. in Philosophy. At the University of Southern California, I earned my B.A. with Departmental Honors along with the Discovery Scholar’s award for excellence in independent research. I have been tutoring and teaching for eleven years, with a primary emphasis on developing my students’ writing and critical thinking skills.
Michael
Calculus Tutor • +64 Subjects
I am a graduate of the University of Michigan where I earned my bachelor of science degree in cellular and molecular biology. I chose this major because I am fascinated with how cells in the body interact with each other and the pathways in which they communicate. Originally being pre-med, I applied to medical schools the year after I graduated. Also during this gap year, I taught introductory chemistry lab for science majors at Grand Valley State University. After some self reflection I decided medical school was not the path I wanted to take and decided instead to move to New York City to pursue my other passion of performing on stage. However, due to my background in academia and teaching, I desired to maintain plugged into that world in whatever way I could. That is how I discovered VarsityTutors.
Felice
8th Grade math Tutor • +57 Subjects
I am a graduate of Rutgers College - Undergraduate Business School. I received my Bachelor of Science in Finance with a minor in English. I believe that students learn best when taught in an engaging and energetic way but also believe that it is only through patience and an individualized approach that you can you truly understand the way that a student comprehends and retains that knowledge. I work hard to encompass creativity, energy, and patience in the ways that I teach. My passion for education and learning began in high school where I regularly tutored Math and English to students of all ages. For the past 9 years, I worked in the Financial Services industry in various finance and human resources roles. This experience allowed me to work with all different types of people and helped me develop my skills for understanding unique personalities and how different individuals are motivated. Throughout my career post-college, I continue to be involved in the Learning & Development of my colleagues and often create training guides and conduct training sessions on various relevant topics such as computer skills and financial applications. I am extremely excited and fortunate to have the opportunity to work with students again and in an area where my true passion has always been: education. In my spare time, I love being with friends and family, discovering food festivals around NYC and finding any excuse to travel.
Sarah
12th Grade math Tutor • +66 Subjects
I am a graduate of the University of Kentucky's College of Engineering with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Classics giving me a strong background in mathematics, language and the hard sciences. Hobbies: art, outdoors, reading, writing, books, music
Emily
Middle School Math Tutor • +41 Subjects
I'm a state certified teacher with many years of experience teaching and tutoring both in and out of the classroom, and I look forward to meeting you and helping you achieve your goals. I hope to get to know you in person soon, but until then, here are my qualifications and interests. See you soon! Qualifications: -Graduated magna cum laude from Texas A&M University with a BA in Classics, Greek focus, and a minor in Japanese. -Graduated with Merit (UK equivalent of a 3.0 GPA) from The University of Nottingham in England, Master's in Ancient History. -Texas state certified to teach English both level and advanced for grades 9-12. -More than a decade of tutoring experience in English language arts, foreign language, and study skills; five years of classroom teaching experience: one year at a private academy of students with learning differences and disabilities and four years in public school. -Have taught students as young as 8 years old and as old as 63 -Coached and ran academic clubs and extracurricular clubs such as state spelling and writing competitions and creative writing clubs. -My proudest accomplishments to date include teaching an elementary student to love classical literature and one of my Latin students going on to join and excel in college translation courses as only a junior in high school. Interests: -Reading and creative writing such as short stories, poetry, and even fanfiction! -Singing: I hope to resume voice lessons soon! -Jogging -Watching foreign television such as anime or BBC programs -And of course studying languages!
Orlando
12th Grade math Tutor • +86 Subjects
Hobbies: reading, music, running, art, books, writing
Top 20 Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Seventh graders often struggle with transitioning from plot-focused reading to analyzing theme, character motivation, and author's purpose. Many students also find it difficult to move beyond simple summaries when writing about literature, instead needing to develop evidence-based arguments about what they've read. Additionally, organizing multi-paragraph essays with clear topic sentences and supporting details, managing writer's block when facing longer assignments, and understanding how to incorporate quotes smoothly into their own writing are common pain points at this grade level.
A tutor works with students to move beyond surface-level reading by teaching them to identify textual evidence that supports their interpretations. This includes asking guided questions about why an author made specific word choices, how a character's actions reveal their values, and what a symbol represents in the larger story. Through personalized feedback on student writing, tutors help 7th graders learn to construct clear analytical claims and support them with specific examples from the text, rather than relying on general statements or plot retelling.
Tutors help students understand that a thesis should make a specific claim about a text—not just state a topic. For example, instead of "This story is about friendship," a stronger thesis might be "The author shows that true friendship requires honesty, even when it's uncomfortable." A tutor then guides students through organizing supporting paragraphs around this central idea, ensuring each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and relevant evidence. Breaking the writing process into stages—brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and revising—makes the task less overwhelming and helps students see how their ideas connect logically.
Rather than treating citations as a tedious checklist, tutors show students why proper attribution matters—it gives credit to authors and helps readers find sources. Tutors work through the specific MLA format requirements for in-text citations and works cited pages, often using real examples from texts students are reading. They also teach the practical skill of integrating quotes smoothly into sentences, showing students how to introduce quotes with context, embed them grammatically, and explain their significance rather than dropping quotes in without connection to the student's argument.
Tutors teach active reading techniques like annotating text, asking questions while reading, and pausing to predict what might happen next. For students reading longer texts or complex passages, breaking material into manageable chunks and discussing key events or ideas after each section helps with understanding and memory. Tutors also help students distinguish between main ideas and supporting details, and teach them to recognize how authors structure narratives—recognizing rising action, climax, and resolution helps readers follow and remember stories more effectively.
Developing voice is about helping students recognize their natural way of expressing ideas while also expanding their toolkit. Tutors encourage students to read widely, noticing how different authors make different word choices and create different tones—then experimenting with these techniques in their own writing. Through revision and personalized feedback, tutors help students see which stylistic choices work well in their writing and which feel forced. This might include helping them understand when formal academic tone is appropriate versus when a more conversational voice fits the assignment.
Tutors help students realize that writer's block often stems from perfectionism or unclear thinking rather than lack of ideas. Strategies include freewriting without editing, talking through ideas aloud before writing, using graphic organizers to map out thoughts, or starting with the easiest part rather than the introduction. For reading responses specifically, tutors might ask students guiding questions: "What surprised you?" "What confused you?" "What would you ask the character?" These conversations help students discover what they actually think about a text, which then becomes much easier to write about.
A tutor assesses where each student is—whether they're still building foundational comprehension skills, working at grade level, or ready for advanced analysis—and adjusts accordingly. A student struggling with basic comprehension might focus on understanding plot and character with simpler texts, while a stronger reader might analyze symbolism and author's craft in more complex novels. Similarly, one student might need help organizing a basic five-paragraph essay, while another is ready to explore more sophisticated essay structures. Personalized instruction ensures students are challenged appropriately without becoming frustrated or bored.
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