Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Nyberg.
Hi Patricia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy the year 1978. I have worked as a pediatric occupational therapist with children from the first year of life into adulthood for 36 years. I evaluated and treated children with developmental dysabilities and children who require therapy folowing head injury and special surgeries. I also have a Masters Degree in Special Education from John’s Hopkins University. In 2008 I attended a continuing education couse sponsored by Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) teaching educators and therpist their handwriting curiculum for Pre-K through Elementary age children. Soon after I learn to administer the HWT evaluation called the Print Tool. Typically Occupational Therapists who work in the public schools use the HWT evaluation tool and curriculum with their students. HWT encouraged therapists to work with students who were struggling with handwriting to become tutors and offer summer camps or sevices privately. This appealed to me because at the time I was traveling an hour to reach the specialty hospital where I worked as an oncall occupational therapist. In 2010 I opened WRITE/RIGHT tutoring and began seeing students at my home classroom. I also taught a cummunity ed. Handwriting class for pre-K and Kindergarten students on Saturday mornings, And, I traveled to Daycare’s in SE MN to teach the daycare staff about the HWT Pre-K Program. I moved home to Bethesda, Maryland in 2019 and opened my home business where I have been working with Pre-K thru Elementary age students and their parent(s) to improve the student handwriting skills.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My bussines located in Bethesda, Maryland has been an easy business to grow and the only bump in the road was the Covid pandemic. I am nicely situated in Bethesda with a large student population. In MN I lived in a small town of just over 100 thousands and I stuggled to maintain a steady stream of referals. My website and word of mouth are my only source of advertizement. Tutoring during the school year only allows me to see one student a day after school. My preparation and homework assignments are very individualized and take considerable time added to the one on one one hour per week instruction. My biggest surprize is the time committment to operate a small bussiness but I love every minute of it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
First off I enjoy working with children and observing their handwriting skill development. It is exciting to observe progres of a goal over what sometimes occurs in a week or can take longer. The students parents work hard on the handwriting homework with their son or daughter and we are all fueled by seeing progress. Each student brings with them new challenges and requires of me to be creative in many ways. As a therapist working with young children we utilize sensory based activities to facilitate skill development. I am always designing fun fine motor activities which promote handskills that will improved a students pencil grip, or a worksheet designed to facilitate improved pencil or crayon control and acuracy. A favorite activity of my students is where I set up dominos in the shape of letters. Student knock over the dominos starting in the correct location and folowing the sequence the letter is formed. Handwriting is a complex skill requiring specialy design activities for each age and that are suitable to their skill level, I also enjoy working with the parents which is typically the mother. The mom’s I work with are very commited and find the time to work on the handwriting homework with their son or daughter while also working outside the home. I try to include the parent in the session so they understand how to complete the homework and what is the goal is of each handwriting activity. I see students who are stuggling with handwriting who did not receive adequate handwriting instruction at school, or have development delays, or a medical diagnosis. Having the parent present can be important encouragement for the student and I can model for the parent how to facilitate the handwriting goals we need to achieve.
How do you define success?
In a student Handwriting Evaluation report I state the handwriting goals and how I expect to monitor their achievement. I periodically review progress. I sometimes inform the student of specific handwriting goals so they understand what I expect of them and why. I talk to students about the importance of legibilty and how to best achieve legible handwriting that the teacher and the the student can read. I utlilize a list of questions for older elementaty age students where they tell me how they think they are performing when writing at school. For example, Do you write your capital letters on the baseline? Do you write your descending letters below the baseline? and so on. I try to celebrate a childs success.
Pricing:
- I have my pricing on my website,
Contact Info:
- Website: https://writerighttutoring.com
