Building Confident Readers and Writers
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Building Confident Readers and Writers *
About Suzanne Alvarez
Founder of Living Stones Literacy
Suzanne Alvarez is the founder of Living Stones Literacy, a dedicated educator passionate about helping children become confident, capable readers and writers. Through personalized, evidence-based instruction, she meets students where they are, helping them build strong literacy foundations while recognizing their unique strengths and learning needs.
Suzanne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Her experience spans classroom teaching, literacy acquisition, reading intervention, and individualized instruction in traditional, virtual, and homeschool settings. She also provides literacy coaching for homeschool parents, equipping families with practical strategies and guidance to support their children’s learning at home.
At the heart of Suzanne’s work is the belief that education should feel welcoming, not overwhelming, and should fit into a child’s life rather than consume it. She values meaningful partnerships with families and strives to create an encouraging learning environment. Her ultimate goal is to equip students and parents with the skills, strategies, and confidence to no longer need her services, empowering them to continue learning and growing independently.
My Services
I will assess your child's reading abilities across the 12 foundational areas essential to reading development and create a personalized instructional plan based on their unique strengths and areas for growth. I will then provide targeted sessions to help them overcome their biggest hurdles. Throughout our time working together, I will also partner with you, the parent or guardian, by providing coaching through home routines and literacy practices that reinforce your child's learning to encourage continued progress between sessions.
I will assess your child's writing abilities across 10 foundational areas essential to becoming a confident, accurate, and effective writer, then create a personalized instructional plan based on their individual interests, motivations, strengths, and areas for growth. Throughout our time together, I will also partner with you, the parent or guardian, by teaching you simple, practical strategies that reinforce your child's writing development and encourage steady progress between sessions.
Reading and writing both require consistent practice to develop well. However, the cost of weekly tutoring can be difficult for many families to maintain. That’s why I offer small-group reading and writing intervention. After assessing your student individually, I will place them in a group with other students who are working on similar reading and writing skills. This allows students to receive targeted instruction while families share the cost of each session. Small-group instruction is a more affordable way to provide your student with the consistent support they need to make meaningful progress.
What is Reading Intervention?
Reading intervention is individualized instruction that helps students build the skills they need to become successful readers and writers. Every child learns at a different pace, and sometimes they simply need extra guidance, practice, or a different approach to help everything "click." This is where I come in! I am trained to identify what pieces of the puzzle of literacy may be missing. Then, I will personalize and target specific areas in need of support. It’s theorized that there are 12 individual components of reading that, when pieced together, build a confident and fluent reader. They are listed to the right (listed below on mobile devices).
How do I know if my child needs Reading Intervention?
Your child may benefit from reading intervention if they:
Read below grade level or have difficulty keeping up with schoolwork due to slow reading.
Seem to read aloud at grade level or above, but struggle to comprehend or recall the text immediately afterward.
Avoid reading because it feels frustrating or overwhelming, even when capable.
Have trouble sounding out words, reading smoothly aloud, or understanding what they read in context.
Need extra support to build confidence in their literacy skills.
Critical Thinking
Generating Ideas
Writing Process
Syntax
Grammar and syntactic awareness
Sentence Elaboration
Punctuation
Text Structure
Paragraph structure
Patterns of organization
Linking and transition words
Writing Craft
Narrative, informational, opinion structures
Word Choice
Awareness of task, audience, purpose
Literary devices
Transcription
Spelling
Handwriting, keyboarding
Phonological Awareness
Alphabetics
Phonics and Decoding
Sight Word Recognition
Reading Fluency
Background Knowledge
Vocabulary Knowledge
Morphological Awareness
Text and Language Structures
Literacy and Text Knowledge
Verbal Reasoning
Theory of Mind
What About Writing Intervention?
Reading and writing are closely connected, but they are not the same skill. While both rely on many of the same foundational literacy abilities, writing requires its own unique set of skills and places different demands on the brain. Becoming a fluent writer involves much more than simply learning to read—it requires students to organize their thoughts, apply spelling and grammar knowledge, construct meaningful sentences, and communicate ideas effectively. To the left (or below on mobile devices), you'll find the essential "puzzle pieces" that come together to build a confident and fluent writer.
In addition to Reading Intervention and Literacy Acquisition, I also provide Written Language Instruction and Intervention. Just like learning to read, learning to write is like putting together a puzzle. Writing has its own set of essential pieces that work together to help students become confident, capable, and fluent writers. Through personalized instruction, I help students develop each of these pieces so they can express themselves clearly and successfully.
What if my child is advancing faster than I can teach?
Reading and writing become increasingly complex subjects to learn, as well as to teach. This is why I choose to work with a wide variety of students, from newly budding readers to advanced students in need of more challenging materials. I provide Literacy Acquisition services for students who are reading at or above grade level and need more advanced support than some homeschool parents are wanting or ready to provide. Even strong readers benefit from targeted instruction that challenges them, strengthens advanced literacy skills, and supports continued academic growth.
If you're unsure whether your child would benefit from Reading Intervention or Literacy Acquisition, I'd be happy to schedule a consultation with you and help determine whether my services are the right fit for your family.
Are you ready to schedule a consultation or assessment?
Let’s Work Together
Would you like to learn more about my services? I’d love to talk with you about how we can work together to support your young readers and writers at home.
You can call me directly at 909-206-6949. If you’re unable to call right now, simply provide your contact information below, and I’ll be happy to reach out to you!
Building Confident Readers and Writers
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Building Confident Readers and Writers *
“And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.”
1 Peter 2:5