Building readers. Building confidence. One breakthrough at a time — for kids who've decided reading isn't for them, and the parents who know it could be.
I'm not just a tutor for little kids learning to read. I work with a student's whole reading and writing journey — from the earliest "I can't read" moment all the way through teenage writing fluency.
Struggling Readers
Confidence built through play, multisensory learning, and finding the win in every session — making phonics feel like discovery instead of drilling.
Writing & Organization
Paragraphs into multi-paragraph essays — structure, organization, and grammar, taught in a way that works for how each student thinks. Real tools that make writing feel possible instead of paralyzing.
A different approach for kids who learn differently — whether that's ADHD, dyslexia, autism, or simply a student who hasn't found what clicks yet. Different wiring, different brilliance. I meet each one where they are.
Surprisingly, yes. I keep sessions fun, fresh, and moving — from early readers finding their footing to teens building stronger writing and fluency. My approach translates well to a screen because it's built on engagement, not worksheets.
That's the moment everything changes. Here's what families have seen.
"Cristie came into Eliana's educational life just as she was teetering on the abyss of 'I can't/won't do this.' Her gentle, fun, creative approach inspired Ellie to WANT to learn — that she COULD learn and have a blast doing it."
"He is really excelling and is now confident in his reading… He is even helping other kids in class who are struggling with reading. Cristie's personality and techniques are extraordinary. They instilled a level of enjoyment, comfort and confidence that has been the foundation of his success."
"As a struggling reader with dyslexia, he faced numerous challenges that often left him feeling defeated. From the moment he began working with Cristie, everything changed. His confidence has soared, and he is now reading at a level we couldn't have imagined. The most remarkable aspect of Cristie's tutoring was her ability to celebrate my son's progress no matter how small."
"Cristie has been an absolute gift for our 4th grader. She worked patiently and skillfully with him through the challenges of dyslexia, meeting him exactly where he was and guiding him with care and expertise. Her methods weren't just effective, they were transformative — reading has gone from something he struggled with to something he truly enjoys, and he now often curls up with a book on his own. I'm deeply grateful for the impact she's had on his learning journey."
"Her score on her STAR reading test improved by 0.2 after only five sessions — that same jump took months without tutoring. She likes reading more now. I love the way Cristie worked with my daughter — she met her at her level, related to her, and taught her in such a creative way. Adrienne was so engaged, and she retained the information and built on it each session."
"We feel incredibly fortunate that our son had the opportunity to work with Cristie. From the very beginning, she has been kind, motivating, reliable, and thoughtful — always bringing a creative and personalized approach to her instruction. She takes the time to truly know each student, not only as a learner but as a person, and it's clear how deeply she cares about their success. He went from being significantly behind in reading and writing to catching up completely and no longer requiring any additional support services. We could not adore Cristie more."
"Reading is easy and it's full of games. And I love her laugh."
"I can read in chapter books now! I am happy to read now."
"Cristie started me off on a good path."
"Cristie has been such a gift to my son and our family. She is kind, funny, encouraging, and effective. He has struggled with reading and writing and has diagnosed learning differences. Despite his challenges he has made tremendous progress with Cristie and gained considerable confidence in his ability to learn. Initially he was struggling to read basic materials, and now it is hard to peel him away from his latest book. Cristie's engaging approach to learning and her ability to meet each student where they are is incredible. I wholeheartedly recommend Cristie."
"To say that my daughter made dramatic improvements is an understatement. She went from a dyslexic second grader who could barely read to a voracious and curious reader — we can barely keep up with her reading pace. She participated in the Oregon Battle of the Books and demonstrated excellent reading comprehension and recall. I think the best part about Cristie is her personality. She is fun, silly, and compassionate. We are extremely grateful for Cristie's knowledge, intuition, patience, flexibility, and creativity. She provided an invaluable service to my daughter and her learning journey."
"The difference Cristie has made is remarkable. She met him exactly where he was and rebuilt his foundation from the ground up, grounding him in the fundamentals so he could approach the advanced work with real understanding instead of guesswork. The result has been transformative. He moved from anxious to confident. Cristie does not just teach math. She changes how a child sees themselves as a math learner. We are grateful for her patience, her skill, and her genuine investment in his growth."
"I remember when I first met Cristie, she got the kids talking and laughing right away which put everyone at ease. Cristie has an easy comfortable manner that put my shy child at ease right away. Cristie's vibrant personality draws kids to her and the learning just flows easily from there. She worked with my child in a way that really appealed to him and helped him to understand some concepts about reading without him even realizing he was being taught reading skills as he had fun!"
"My name is Gawin, I'm 11 years old (to the best of my knowledge) and I've worked with Cristie for over 3 years. She helps me a lot with school work and always finds time to squeeze me in. I've improved from rock bottom to land. I feel very accomplished. I used to struggle with writing a sentence. Now I just grind through full chapters like it's nothing. Cristie is funny, kind and supportive."
I've spent two decades as an educator — facilitating, training, coaching, and teaching kids and adults alike, across a wide range of abilities, including neurotypical and special needs learners. I've been doing this work since 2004, and what keeps me at it is watching a kid go from dreading reading to devouring books, and watching parents feel the relief of finally seeing their child succeed.
I connect with kids on a deep level — tuning into what might be in their way, what motivates them, and what they care about on any given day — and that connection builds the trust that makes real learning possible.
My background is wider than reading and writing — I've tutored math and social studies, studied comedy improv, clown, and storytelling, and spent a summer as a camp counselor for kids with cancer. I've also written IEPs, worked as a community inclusion specialist and job coach, taught creative writing to adults with developmental disabilities, and co-directed an arts organization built around that same community. I've trained teams and individuals and facilitated workshops for executives, too — experience across a full spectrum of ages and abilities. All of it feeds the same thing: finding the way in — for each person in front of me.
Let's talk about your child →I use a hybrid, phonics-based, multi-sensory approach drawing from Orton-Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell, and C.R. Learning — trained in the highlights of each by my mentor, Mare Langlois, who held certifications in all three and established (and later sold) Education Therapy, the premier tutoring and educational consulting organization on Maui. These methods are proven especially effective for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges. I bring deep experience working with neurodivergent learners, including ADHD and autism spectrum students, adapting my approach to fit each one. I also bring a strong social-emotional focus, with training through SocialThinking.com, a trauma-informed practice, and I'm a certified somatic coach.
I've tutored in the voice of a pirate. Used zombie sounds to teach vowels. Jumped the sounds of words across the room.
If it creates a win, we'll try it.
Because kids learn best when they're having fun and feeling good about themselves. Every student is different, and finding what works for them is what I'm here to do. Two decades in, I still learn as much from my students as they learn from me.
"Enormous creative spirit and resourcefulness." — Mare Langlois, Maui-based educator & founder of Education Therapy
(Cristie's mentor)
Writing tutoring here goes well beyond grammar worksheets. I help with homework across every kind of writing assignment, and dig into paragraph structure, multi-paragraph essays, and organization from the ground up — the real building blocks that make writing feel manageable instead of overwhelming. Students may also explore different kinds of writing along the way, from persuasive arguments to narrative storytelling to literary analysis, building the range and confidence to tackle whatever their teacher assigns next.
Sign up for updates and stories, or reach out directly — I'd love to hear about your child and what they're working through.
No spam, ever.
Prefer to just say hello? cristie.chamberland@gmail.com
Cristie runs a thriving, referral-driven tutoring practice — families often find her after another tutor couldn't reach their child.