Ongoing tutoring · In person on the Eastside
A Tutor in Redmond, WA Who Teaches Skills, Not Just Tonight's Homework
Weekly tutoring in reading, writing, math, and study skills for preschool and elementary students — and through high school when needed — delivered by an expert educator who tracks progress and tells you the truth about it.
The service
Consistent weekly instruction with a measurable target
Some families arrive with a diagnosed learning difference and a detailed report. Many simply know that something is not working and want steady, competent help. This service is built for the second group: ongoing tutoring that starts quickly, focuses on the highest- leverage skills, and adjusts as the school year unfolds.
Dr. Custer opens with a short skills review — reading accuracy and rate, writing sample, math computation and reasoning, and a look at how your student manages materials and deadlines. That snapshot sets the priorities. If the skills review reveals patterns that need formal explanation, Dr. Custer will recommend a psychoeducational evaluation rather than tutoring around an unanswered question indefinitely.
A student can only sustain progress on a few targets at a time, so lessons stay narrow and cumulative instead of chasing whatever is due tomorrow. Current coursework still gets attention, but attention to this is considered within the scope of the child's current skill deficits.
Tutoring runs in person for families in Redmond, Bellevue, Bothell, Kirkland, and nearby Eastside communities, because in-person work is where teaching and learning are most effective. Online support may be considered for some tutoring depending on the situation.
Focus areas
What students work on
- Early literacy and structured phonics: sound-symbol accuracy, decoding, spelling, fluency
- Reading comprehension
- Written expression: handwriting and letter formation, spelling, generating ideas and formulating sentences, grammar, and revision
- Math foundations through pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry
- Executive functioning: identifying and learning strategies to support the executive function skills they struggle with, such as organization and holding information in memory while completing a task
Answers for local families
Before you reach out
When are appointments available?
Sessions run weekdays through early evening (Mon–Fri), which works well for after-school scheduling across Redmond, Bellevue, Bothell, and Kirkland.
At the moment appointments are 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM.
Who this is for
Families who usually reach out
When something is not adding up
A bright young student is working hard and still slipping. Reading is slow and effortful, a student can't spell but seems to be able to read, writing takes three times longer than it should, or math facts never became automatic. Teachers describe a capable child; the report card does not match.
Outcomes
What consistent tutoring produces
Shorter, calmer homework
When underlying skills become automatic, assignments stop taking three hours. Most families notice reduced evening friction well before the next report card arrives.
Grades that reflect ability
Students who understood the material but lost points to disorganization, careless computation, or unfinished writing often see the fastest change once systems replace improvisation.
Willingness to try again
Repeated failure teaches avoidance. Success at an appropriate difficulty level, session after session, is what reverses it — and that shift in willingness is usually the most durable outcome.
A clear school conversation
Tutoring notes and progress data give you something concrete to bring to teachers, and educational consulting is available when that conversation needs to become a formal plan.
Scheduling
Tutoring that fits an Eastside week
After-school hours fill first, so families in Redmond, Bellevue, Bothell, Kirkland, Sammamish, and Mountlake Terrace often reserve a standing weekday slot before the school year gets underway. Support is provided to parents who send their child to public or private schools, as well as those who homeschool.
Consistency matters more than length: one dependable weekly hour outperforms sporadic three-hour catch-up marathons. Summer is often the most productive window of all, when a student can rebuild foundational skills without simultaneously keeping up with new material — and arrive in September ahead of where they left off.
Answers for local families
Tutoring questions from local parents
Related support
Other ways Dr. Custer helps Washington families
Book a free consultation and get started this month
A 30 minute consultation is free, unhurried, and free of pressure. Call (847) 651-7892 or send a message and Dr. Custer will follow up personally with honest next steps for your family in Redmond, Bellevue, Bothell, Kirkland, or anywhere on the Eastside.