Award-Winning Susan Barton Tutors
serving Washington, DC
Award-Winning
Susan Barton
Tutors in Washington
Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.
Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings
UniversitiesSchools & Universities
DeliveredHours Delivered
ProficiencyGrowth in Proficiency
Who needs tutoring?
No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

I'm not tutoring or buried in my textbooks, you will either find me rock climbing at the Triangle Rock Club, playing Ultimate Frisbee, working on my car, or enjoying the great outdoors (beaches, mountains, forests--you name it, I love it). On rainy weekends I enjoy tinkering with computers and old electronics, playing Pokemon, or picking at my guitar.

I am an interdisciplinary educator with an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. My background is primarily in integrated arts learning and museum education and I specialize in visual arts, history and art history, and object-based learning. In all subjects, I take a creative, inquiry-based and learner-centered approach, designing opportunities for each unique individual to meet their learning goals.
I am a recent graduate from a masters program in biostatistics at Columbia University. I received my Bachelor of Arts in biological sciences, with a focus in neurobiology at Northwestern University. In August, I will be starting a doctoral program in biostatistics at NYU. I was a teaching assistant at Columbia University in my department and also have tutored graduate students and undergraduates privately as well. My primary areas of tutoring are math and statistics coursework in addition to math sections on standardized tests such as the GRE and GMAT. I am very passionate about helping students feel more confident and excited about math. In my spare time, I enjoy running, playing piano, and spending time with friends and family.
I am a graduate of Wesleyan University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with High Honors. With eight years of experience working in education, I've tutored students in math, science, history, and English, as well as helped students prepare for standardized tests. I've guided adults towards passing the US Citizenship Exam and taught English in India, where I lived for six months. Whenever I work with a student I personalize the lessons to fit their particular learning style, since I know every student is unique and having the right fit can make all the difference in making learning fun and effective. My strengths are tutoring the social sciences and humanities, as well as making math and standardized tests approachable to students that normally don't like those subjects. In my spare time I like traveling, spending time in the outdoors (climbing & backpacking), meditation, and playing soccer. Next fall I will be beginning my PhD in Education at Harvard University.
I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College and am about to declare as a Mechanical Engineering concentrator, working towards a Bachelor of Science degree. I've always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with my peers and those around me and have done so in both formal and informal settings. I've been a tutor for both Math and Spanish programs in high school and enjoyed the strides I made with students. I am willing to tutor any subject I have a background in, but am strong in mathematics, the sciences, Spanish, history, writing, and ACT prep. I enjoy teaching mathematics most due to the joy I can see in children once they master a topic and can answer even pointed questions meant to stump them, and maybe even put their knowledge to real world use. As a tutor, I like to give a strong foundation to orient my student, and then gradually grant them more freedom and independence until they can feel themselves grasp the concept, pointing out pitfalls or common errors along the way; teachers who used these methods on me always left the most lasting impressions. Outside of my studies, I really enjoy listening to music, both old favorites and new interests, reading classics, and gaming/playing basketball with my friends.
I'm Solange - a recent graduate from Harvard where I studied Sociology & Women's Studies. I've been tutoring for eight years now, and have worked with a wide range of ages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of my specialties are college prep/test taking II worked in the admissions office on campus); social sciences; and literature/writing.
I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals!
I am proud to be a part of Varsity Tutors! I am originally from San Antonio, TX; I completed my undergraduate education at Rice University in Houston where I received a bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Currently, I am in my second year of medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.
I am a graduate of Washington University in St Louis, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Humanities and Anthropology. Since graduation, I have worked as a tutor, teacher, and director of tutors at a charter public middle school in Boston. During this time I also received my Masters in Mild to Moderate Disabilities from Simmons College. I have worked extensively with students with a range of abilities, including students with specific learning disabilities, emotional impairments, dyslexia, and ADHD. My teaching experience has given me a deep understanding of the knowledge and habits essential to academic success and has given me the opportunity to hone a variety of strategies that ensure students at each level can achieve their academic goals. While I tutor a broad range of subjects, my favorite ones are Reading, Elementary/Middle School Math, History, and Test Prep. In my experience, tutoring is the most rewarding when a student has that "aha!" moment and achieves a new level of understanding and confidence in his/her abilities. I am a firm believer in the transformative power of education, and I see my role to be that of a facilitator and coach who is there to help the student reach his/her goals through individualized support and rigorous practice. In my free time, I enjoy reading, running, practicing my Spanish, and discovering new music. I am also an avid traveler and just got back from a 3 month trip to South America. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you!
I am an aspiring applied mathematician, with particular interest in image processing and climate science. I graduated in May 2017 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor's in physics and mathematics, and am beginning a PhD program in September 2017 at the University of Chicago in Computational and Applied Mathematics. I've tutored introductory physics students for three years and enjoyed it thoroughly, as a chance to help other students while revisiting fundamental concepts to enhance my own knowledge. I'm eager to continue reaching out and helping students of math and physics to succeed and, furthermore, to appreciate the beauty and power of these subjects.
I am comfortable tutoring math subjects up to multivariable calculus and differential equations, as well as college physics.
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago where I received my undergraduate degree in political science. Right after graduation, I worked as an academic and test prep tutor as well as admissions consultant in Hong Kong. For the past two years, I worked with a number of students to help prepare them for college in the United States.
Testimonials
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Susan Barton Reading System is a structured literacy approach based on Orton-Gillingham principles, designed to teach reading through explicit, systematic instruction in phonics and decoding skills. It's particularly effective for students who struggle with traditional reading instruction, including those with dyslexia or other reading difficulties. The program emphasizes multisensory techniques and individualized pacing to build strong foundational skills.
Students who benefit most include those with dyslexia, slow reading progress despite classroom instruction, difficulty with phonics and decoding, or those who learn better with structured, sequential instruction. The approach also works well for students who need explicit teaching of letter-sound relationships and word structure. In Washington, DC's diverse school environment with over 91,000 students across 71 school districts, many learners thrive when they receive personalized instruction tailored to their specific reading gaps.
Personalized 1-on-1 Susan Barton instruction allows tutors to move at your student's pace, spend extra time on challenging concepts, and target specific reading gaps that may not be addressed in a classroom setting. While classroom teachers work with many students at varying levels, a tutor can provide the intensive, multisensory practice and immediate feedback that struggling readers often need. This individualized approach typically leads to faster skill development and greater confidence in reading.
The Susan Barton approach specifically targets phonemic awareness gaps, decoding difficulties, struggles with sound-symbol relationships, poor spelling skills, and slow reading fluency. Many students also struggle with blending sounds into words or understanding syllable patterns—areas where Susan Barton's explicit, step-by-step instruction excels. For students in Washington, DC who may have fallen behind due to inconsistent reading instruction or learning differences, this systematic method helps rebuild foundational skills from the ground up.
The first session typically includes an assessment of your student's current reading skills, including phonemic awareness, decoding ability, and fluency level. The tutor will identify specific strengths and gaps to create a personalized learning plan aligned with Susan Barton principles. You'll also discuss goals, learning style, and any previous reading instruction to ensure the tutoring approach is tailored to your student's needs.
Many students show noticeable improvement in phonics skills and decoding accuracy within 4-6 weeks of consistent, personalized instruction. More significant gains in fluency and comprehension typically develop over several months with regular tutoring sessions. The timeline depends on the severity of reading difficulties, frequency of tutoring, and how much the student practices between sessions—consistency is key to progress.
Expert tutors in the Susan Barton method should have formal training or certification in the Orton-Gillingham approach or Susan Barton Reading System specifically. Look for tutors with experience working with struggling readers, dyslexia, or reading disabilities, and ideally those who understand how to assess reading skills and adapt instruction. Varsity Tutors connects you with qualified tutors in Washington, DC who have the expertise to implement this structured literacy approach effectively.
Most students benefit from 2-3 tutoring sessions per week, with each session lasting 45-60 minutes, to see consistent progress in reading skills. Frequency can be adjusted based on the severity of reading difficulties and how quickly the student is progressing. Regular, consistent instruction is more effective than sporadic sessions, so working with a tutor to establish a sustainable schedule helps maximize improvement in phonics, decoding, and overall reading ability.
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