Creative Play: Build like an Engineer Workshop

In this hands-on workshop, students will team up to design and build their architectural masterpiece using straws and connectors. They’ll start by drafting a blueprint, then bring their vision to life while learning key engineering principles like balance, load distribution, and structural strength. Once their creations are built, teams will put them to the test!



Designed for elementary grade students
90-minute workshop
Cost: $12

Every Friday at 3:30 pm starting March 28th


How to Register for the Creative Play: Build like an Engineer Workshop

Step 1:

Please take a moment to sign the Parent Consent form.


Step 2:

Register your child to reserve their space:


Agenda

Lesson 1:

Introduction to entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurial mindset, and impact of entrepreneurship.

Lesson 2:

Identifying problems and unmet needs, brainstorming solutions, creative thinking techniques, identifying target customers, understanding your customers, understanding your product’s strengths and weaknesses.

Lesson 3:

Product development, design thinking, developing initial ideas into detailed concepts & conducting basic feasibility & competitor analysis, basics of a simple business plan.

Lesson 4:

Importance of planning before building, key elements of a prototype plan, and identifying necessary resources, importance of packaging, understanding distribution and logistics.

Lesson 5:

Importance of prototype, iteration & making improvements based on testing, understanding cost & pricing, understanding investors & learning how to pitch your idea.

Lesson 6:

Importance of market survey, understanding profit & loss, final showcase and investor presentation.




Maker Mindz, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sparking children’s innate curiosity and fostering a deep understanding of the world around them, igniting a lifelong love for learning. Our workshops incorporate a hands-on approach to foster a love for STEM and to make learning a vivid adventure, an active exploration, a journey that leaves students wide-eyed and eager for more. Instead of simply sharing science and engineering facts like a traditional classroom, we guide students to uncover the facts themselves, leaving them with a sense of joy and pride.

Entrepreneurship Camp

Embark on a journey of innovation in our 6-week Entrepreneurship workshop for kids ages 11 & above. This workshop combines theory with hands-on practicality where students dive into the basics of entrepreneurship & product development. Students will learn core concepts of entrepreneurship, including ideation, market research, product development, prototyping, testing, and pitching. We can test your idea at the local Farmers market or gear up to compete at local competitions.



Designed for ages 11+
90-minute class
6 classes
Cost: $150

Mondays at 4:30 pm starting March 24th for 6-weeks




How to Register for the Entrepreneurship Camp

Step 1:

Please take a moment to sign the Parent Consent form.


Step 2:

Register your child to reserve their space:





Maker Mindz, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sparking children’s innate curiosity and fostering a deep understanding of the world around them, igniting a lifelong love for learning. Our workshops incorporate a hands-on approach to foster a love for STEM and to make learning a vivid adventure, an active exploration, a journey that leaves students wide-eyed and eager for more. Instead of simply sharing science and engineering facts like a traditional classroom, we guide students to uncover the facts themselves, leaving them with a sense of joy and pride.

Science of Motion Workshop

Explore the wonders of physics in a hands-on class, where students learn fundamental concepts of motion and explore complex topics like potential & kinetic energies, Archimedes & Bernoulli’s principles & more. Through interactive experiments and creative challenges, students will see physics in action and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.



Designed for 6 – 8th graders
90-minute class
4 classes
Cost: $100

Wednesdays at 4:30pm to 6:00pm for 4-weeks

4-week agenda:

Lesson 1:

Introduction to Force, Friction, Center of Mass

Lesson 2:

Introduction to Inertia and Laws of Motion

Lesson 3:

Introduction to Potential and Kinetic Energies, Ramp and Components of Force

Lesson 4:

Introduction to Buoyancy and Pressure





How to Register for the Science of Motion Workshop

Step 1:

Please take a moment to sign the Parent Consent form.


Step 2:

Register your child to reserve their space:





Maker Mindz, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sparking children’s innate curiosity and fostering a deep understanding of the world around them, igniting a lifelong love for learning. Our workshops incorporate a hands-on approach to foster a love for STEM and to make learning a vivid adventure, an active exploration, a journey that leaves students wide-eyed and eager for more. Instead of simply sharing science and engineering facts like a traditional classroom, we guide students to uncover the facts themselves, leaving them with a sense of joy and pride.

2025 Summer Camps

When:
Monday- Thursday 10:00 am – 12:30 pm


Grades:
K-5; 6-8 SMALL GROUPS (1 tutor: 6 students)


Price:
$225.00 per week
10% Sibling Discount

Week of June 23-27: Orton Gillingham: OG Reader’s Week – Full email for waitlist
Students will work on phonological awareness (segmenting, rhyming, manipulating sounds), syllable division, spelling patterns & rules, comprehension and spelling using the Orton Gillingham hands-on, multi-sensory learning approach with Laurel. Rising 3rd-5th grades

July 7-10: Orton Gillingham: Advanced OG 4 spots left!
Dig into the roots of the English language!  This camp is for students who have been utilizing the Orton Gillingham approach.  Campers will delve into morphology and etymology through scientific word investigation with Laurel. Grades 4-6

Week of July 14-17: Orton Gillingham: OG Reader’s Week 4 spots left!
Students will work on phonological awareness (segmenting, rhyming, manipulating sounds), syllable division, spelling patterns & rules, comprehension and spelling using the Orton Gillingham hands-on, multi-sensory learning approach with Laurel. Rising 3rd-5th grades

July 21-24: Writers Workshop: Swiftie Edition! BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! 3 spots left!
Swifties rejoice! No tortured poets at this camp! Students will write their own songs at this Taylor Swift inspired lyric writing camp. We will focus on vocabulary, parts of speech, syllables, figurative language and more! Rising 1st-4th grades.

August 4-8: Orton Gillingham: Mulitesensory Langugage Instruction OG for Newbies 3 spots left!
The ABCs of OG! This camp is for students who are new to the Orton Gillingham method of language instruction. Campers will learn the building blocks of reading including phonological awareness skills, syllable types and spelling generalizations with Laurel. Lots of hands on fun! Rising K-2nd grade.

August 11-14: Writers Workshop Swiftie Edition!
Calling all Taylor Swift fans! Students will write their own songs at this Taylor Swift inspired lyric writing camp. We will focus on vocabulary, grammar, parts of speech, syllables and more! Rising 5th-8th grades.



*ALL SUMMER CAMP PAYMENTS ARE DUE UPON REGISTRATION.*

Camp fees are non-refundable after May 1. 

Can’t wait to see you at camp!

Orton-Gillingham Reading Approach

Where did the Orton-Gillingham approach originate?

Dr. Samuel Orton, a pathologist who worked with adult patients with brain damage, was asked to evaluate students who were struggling to read. After much observation, he realized these students were reversing letters and their order in words causing them difficulties with reading.  His knowledge of brain damage led him to hypothesize that these children did not have proper cerebral organization in which the left hemisphere of their brains were not becoming dominant over the right hemisphere. He was determined to help these children and subsequently used multi-sensory techniques that worked with his adult patients combining kinesthetic and tactile methods to the already traditional auditory and visual methods traditionally used. Just a few years later, he started working with psychologist and educator Anna Gillingham who introduced a systematic and orderly approach of categorizing and teaching all of the different sounds in the English language, and together, they created the Orton-Gillingham approach. She dedicated a lot of time to training teachers and creating instructional manuals regarding reading instruction.

What is Orton-Gillingham?

The Orton-Gillingham approach is a thorough language based, sequential, multi-sensory approach to learning how to read and spell that is both flexible and engaging. It is a program that has simplified the English language to phonemes (sounds), morphemes (parts of a word that have meaning such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots), and common spelling rules. These lessons are taught using a multi-sensory approach which allows students to take in the information by listening, seeing, touching, and using movement. Every lesson is interactive and engaging with the certified tutor.

Why is it effective?

This method has proven to be very effective with children especially those whom live with the struggles of dyslexia and those with ADHD. Because lessons are engaging and flexible, children are more likely to stay focused and less likely to “tune out”. In addition, because a multi-sensory approach is being used, information is being received simultaneously by different parts of the brain. This will not only allow the learner to store the information in their brain but will also increase the likelihood of retrieval providing different triggers to allow the students to recall what he has learned.

Who would benefit?

Any child in Pre-K-4th grade learning to read would greatly benefit from the Orton-Gillingham approach because of its sequential, engaging, and flexible manner of teaching reading. So many children who have struggled with dyslexia and ADHD are often relieved to know they CAN read and take with them lifelong strategies to help them in the future.

Contact @thetutoringlink for more information regarding our Orton-Gillingham reading programs.

WJIV Testing

What is it?

The Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJ-IV) is an individually administered assessment that thoroughly tests academic strengths and weaknesses with varying subsets of tests. It includes comprehensive assessments of reading, writing, math, oral language, processing, and more. Unlike other achievement tests that only test your child at their current grade level, the WJ-IV is for anyone from preschool up through college (and beyond).

How long does the test take and when will I get my child’s results?

The test takes 1-2 hours to administer. The format is engaging and changes so the student can remain focused and perform their best.  Results will be emailed within three days and a follow up consultation to review results can be scheduled.

Who should be tested?

Anyone looking to improve his or her instructional outcome should take the WJ-IV. This test pinpoints individual strengths and weaknesses, which provides parents and educators precise information to better remediate in areas where students struggle and challenge them in areas they excel. The WJ-IV is also a great yearly assessment for homeschoolers and meets state requirements for a standardized test.

Where can I have my child tested?

WJIV testing is available in our office or virtually via Zoom.

What is the cost?

The Tutoring Link offers the complete WJ-IV test for only $225. You can also choose just Reading and Writing for $125 or just the Math portion for $125. Homeschool students save 20% in April!

Personalized Learning Programs

We create a personalized learning programs for each of our students.  It is important to us that each child who comes through our door walks out feeling more confident than when he walked in. We start out by evaluating your child’s strengths and weaknesses using the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Abilities, which is the groundbreaking leader in individually administered assessments. From there we then create a personalized program to help your child achieve the learning goals necessary for their academic success. After working with your child for a few months, we administer a post-test to show learning gains and ultimately adjust their program for continued academic success. Our individualized programs include: academic enrichment, Common Core support, Orton-Gillingham multisensory instruction, homeschooling support, study skills and homework help, test preparation, math concepts and skills, reading comprehension, writing skills, SAT and ACT prep.

Allow us to be the link your child needs to reach his or her goals!

Study Habits

Rrrrrring!! It’s that time again….school is in session, which means tests, pop quizzeshomework, and lots of frustration! Developing good study habits is a skill that your child will use throughout his life both in school and in the work force. Studies have shown that people with consistently good study habits score higher on classroom tests and standardized tests than that of their peers. This is a result of two major factors:

1) These students truly understand and internalize the material as opposed to cramming and only remembering facts for the test.
2) They enter tests with confidence as opposed to their peers whom walk into testing with a lot of anxiety due to lack of preparation.

Developing these habits in the early school years paves the way for a brighter future. By definition, a habit is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. Think of the things in your life that have become daily habits (e.g. adding toothpaste to your toothbrush before brushing, looking both ways before crossing the street, tying your shoes). All of these were learned behaviors that were practiced repeatedly until they became second nature. Being organized and using time wisely will not happen overnight, but developing these habits sooner rather than later will yield a less stressed and more well-rounded person as they will have time to enjoy extracurricular activities and complete homework.

Children have a much greater chance of fully enjoying and succeeding in high school and college the sooner they master efficient study skills, creating habits of organization, and time management. We offer a special program for this exact reason. Do not hesitate to contact us to get your child enrolled in our Study Skills program, which will teach your child organizational skills, time management tips, and study skills.

About Us

The Tutoring Link offers personal and/or small group (3 students:1 tutor) tutoring that meets each child’s academic need from K- 12th grade.
Learn more about The Tutoring Link

Location

10844 Providence Rd. Suite. 225
Charlotte 28277

Hours

Monday – Thursday
10:00am - 7:30pm
© 2024 The Tutoring Link
704-618-0803 | laurel@thetutoringlink.com