True Potential Tutoring LLC
Washington & Ozaukee Counties, Wisconsin and On-line
Testimonials
My son, R. was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was in 3rd grade. He was behind in reading and struggled a lot with spelling and handwriting. The school did some testing but they were unable to test and diagnose for dyslexia. After taking him to a child psychologist, he was diagnosed with dyslexia.
We had many meetings with the school to see what could be done to help R. By their measures his levels weren’t bad enough to qualify for an IEP, but he still was struggling and not being able to achieve his full potential. We knew we needed to do something to give him the resources he needed and deserved to be able to be his best. The school did have a Special Education Teacher that had some dyslexia training but we felt the limited training and exposure R. would get at school wouldn’t be enough so we looked into outside private Dyslexia tutoring.
Marta Larson was recommended as an Orton Gillingham – Barton Tutor. R. worked with Marta from 3rd grade – 7th grade. We are so thankful to have found Marta and all that she did to help R.
When R. got to 4th grade his reading improved so much! He was reading at grade level and was enjoying reading and excited about it. Prior to tutoring he didn’t like reading at all, because it was such a struggle. Today he loves to read and I am constantly buying him new books – I love this.
R. really liked Marta and enjoyed going to tutoring, which is big in how successful this would be for him. Marta was very patient and made learning fun. When R. moved to middle school in 6th grade, I had a meeting with his teachers about a month into the school year and they were all surprised to learn that R. had dyslexia. I heard the same from his 7th grade and 8th grade teachers. That is a true testament to how much tutoring helped him and enabled him to be able to work at his true potential. We are forever grateful that he had the opportunity to work with and learn from Marta and the Barton methods.
T.S. (parent of Barton graduate)
I cannot even begin to adequately express my gratitude for Marta and the time she spends tutoring my eleven year old daughter. It was getting more and more frustrating for me and my daughter as I was attempting to teach her how to read and spell. She was displaying signs of dyslexia and I didn't know what to do in order to help her.
Since Marta began tutoring my daughter almost two years ago I have watched her make tremendous strides in both reading and spelling. Marta is both professional and personable. I am thankful for how incredibly patient and encouraging Marta is. Our family has benefited greatly from True Potential Tutoring.
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S.S. (current parent)
Marta is currently tutoring two of my children, both whom have dyslexia. Marta has been a life changer for both of my children.
My daughter, “A” has always loved to read, but was unable to sound out multisyllable words, which led her to fill in the stories with her imagination and not fully comprehend what she was reading. Due to her tutoring, she can now read accurately. Furthermore, before she started tutoring, she could not even write a sentence without crying. She is now able write essays and even requested to be in a creative writing class.
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My son, “C” had meltdowns every day when we attempted to read with him. He started to work with Marta when he was ten and was at a very low reading level. After two years of tutoring, we are so encouraged to see his progress and his confidence soaring. We recently read a book he was trying to read before he started tutoring – two years ago he needed lots of help and every chapter ended with a meltdown. This time through, he was able to read entire chapters without meltdowns and only needed assistance with a handful of words. He still gets frustrated with himself at times, but Marta is incredibly patient and encouraging with him - she knows when to help him push through, when she needs to pull back and when she just needs to change direction.
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Additionally, Marta has been incredibly helpful to me as a parent of dyslexic kids. She has taught me how to advocate for them and how to see the strengths of the dyslexic mind. She also gives me resources and ideas to help my kids. I truly consider Marta a gift to my family – I know the trajectory of my children’s lives has been changed because of Marta’s investment in them.
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S. W. (current parent)
Marta Larson was sent to us at a very hard time in our life. My son was diagnosed with Autism when he was around 2 ½ years old. He had been seeing tutors for his eating disorder and anxiety for years. When he was in 4th grade, his teacher had me come into school. E. was having issues copying words from the white board to his paper. He also had awful notes from times the teacher would be talking. When we met with the teacher, he showed us E's work from the last few days. E was really having a hard time. The teacher could see his frustration, and E got worked up when things were not going the way they should be.
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E's life was turned around the moment we started tutoring with Marta 2-3 times a week before school. Within the first year, we saw a whole new E in school. His reading was starting to take off. He was understanding things better. The anxiety was still there, but we were figuring out the triggers. By the time E graduated Marta’s class, he was reading for fun, taking amazing notes and had become an A-B student.
Marta led us to the E- Scribe pen. This would change his school note taking for the rest of his school life!
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Marta was not only E's teacher, she was a well needed friend in a time of crisis for our family. We thank God every day for leading her into our lives.
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G.O. (parent of Barton graduate)
My name is R, I have dyslexia and this is why tutoring has helped me.
I started tutoring in 3rd grade and I never have dreaded going. Ms. Larson makes all the learning a lot of fun and very efficient.
I never was good at reading, in fact, I was one of the worst readers in my class. I hated reading and never really read books. But now with all the help Ms. Larson has given me I love reading. I would read a lot on the drive to tutoring and back and was way up there in my class.
Then there is spelling, my WORST enemy! I could not spell anything. The rules I learned in school weren’t helping me and I felt defeated. In tutoring the new rules just clicked. The rules were put in easy to remember sayings and nice little rhymes.
As the years went on in tutoring, I looked forward to the tutoring meetings. They were always fun and pleasant, and I never hated it one bit! Ms. Larson is just doing an amazing job and I encourage anyone struggling with dyslexia to go to her for tutoring help because she really just knocks the ball right out of the park!
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R.S. (former student - Barton graduate)
My experience with Ms. Larson and the Barton tutoring system began when I was 8 years old. At the time, I could only read very basic words such as cat or bag. Now, however, I am in college and doing very well in all my classes because of what Ms. Larson taught me.
When I started tutoring, it was fun. The first couple of lessons were fairly simple and were easy to get done. But then we got to level 4 and that all changed. Level 4 got into the harder stuff and I remember not wanting to go to the lessons. Ms. Larson was extremely patient with me and she kept me working through it even when I was not being the best student. She managed to get me through the level and onto the next one. Towards the later levels, it became fun again because I was able to understand the concepts much better.
I cannot stress enough how much this tutoring has impacted my life. I am able to read and write because of it. Without it, I would not be able to perform basic everyday tasks. Many people take the ability to read and write for granted. They do not realize how hard it can be for someone who is dyslexic to learn these skills. I would strongly urge that anyone who has trouble reading or writing utilize the Barton system.
N.F. (former student - Barton graduate)
Marta has tutored 2 of my children through all 10 levels of the Barton program, and they are now confident readers! My daughter is a voracious reader with a vocabulary years above her age and my son is a 4.0 student in in-person classes at college. Marta is patient and kind in her approach, while ensuring even difficult and frustrating work is completed. I am so grateful that Marta was able to tutor my children and give them the skills and confidence they need to be successful in life!
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J.F. (parent of 2 Barton graduates)