Tutoring | Little Roots Forest School

I’m a Washington-licensed K to 8 teacher offering one-on-one tutoring for elementary and middle school students, online or in person around Everett.

Founding rates for the first 5 families. Lock in these prices for as long as you tutor with me.

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Starts with a free 15 minute consultation.

About me

Mattison smiling in a classroom, wearing a red T-shirt

I taught 7th and 8th grade science at Centennial Middle School for three years. Before that, I spent a year as a K to 5 math intervention specialist. Today I run Little Roots Forest School, a nature-based class for toddlers and their grown-ups. I’m also a mom, and I’m CPR and First Aid certified. As a licensed teacher, I’ve passed a fingerprint background check.

My goal is to make learning accessible and engaging for every kid, and to help them love learning and stay curious about the world.

More about my background

Middle school science

At Centennial Middle School, I taught 7th and 8th grade science using the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which Washington schools use, and the OpenSciEd curriculum. Class was hands-on, with labs, projects, science notebooks, group work, and lots of discussion.

Math intervention

I spent a year as a K to 5 math intervention specialist at Eagleridge Elementary in Ferndale, and I only left that job because I moved. I taught whole classes, then pulled small groups while the rest of the class played math games. We always started with a number talk. I love number talks for building kids’ math confidence and mental math skills. I used i-Ready data to plan that instruction, so I’m comfortable reading i-Ready reports and can use your child’s scores to plan our sessions.

Preschool and student teaching

From 2018 to 2021, I taught 3 to 5 year olds at A Little Darling School in Bellingham under my mentor, Netta Darling. We covered early reading, math, social studies, and art, and planned around each child’s interests. I also taught social and emotional skills every day. Netta’s philosophy still guides how I teach: the environment is the teacher, let children lead, and trust the process.

I student taught in 1st grade at Parkview Elementary in Bellingham. I also led a science club for 4th and 5th graders and cotaught a K to 5 fitness club.

Education and training

I earned my degree in Elementary Education from Western Washington University, graduating cum laude.

My language arts lessons follow the science of reading, and in every subject I use evidence-based teaching methods. I’m GLAD certified, which is training in strategies that support kids who are learning English.

What I tutor

K to 8: any subject, including reading, writing, math, science, and history.
Study skills and organization, like keeping a planner and breaking big assignments into smaller steps.

How I teach

Every session starts with a check in. I ask how your child is feeling and if there’s anything new going on with their learning. Then we warm up by reviewing what we worked on last time.

From there it depends on the subject. In math, we do a number talk, practice the skill we’re working on, and finish with a game. Language arts looks a little different. We read together and do some targeted phonics practice, like word sorts and word chains, before a game at the end. In a one hour session, we can split the time between more than one subject.

I build sessions around what your child is into. If they love sharks, we might compare shark lengths to practice measuring, or read about how sharks find their food.

When something feels hard, I model a growth mindset and help kids find the words for what they’re feeling. My mascot is the axolotl, which can regrow its limbs, the same way we can regrow our learning. Tardigrades are tiny animals that can survive almost anything. Each kid colors one to tape into their tutoring notebook, and when things get tough, we look back at it and remember that we’re tardigrade tough.

If your family would like, I’m happy to talk with your child’s classroom teacher so we’re working on the same things.

Staying in touch and tracking progress

After each session, I’ll send you a quick text or email, whichever you prefer, about what we worked on and how it went. Once a month, I’ll send a longer progress update by email.

Assessment looks different for each family, depending on your child’s school or homeschool setup.

Here’s how we’ll know it’s working:

SMART goals. You, your child, and I set goals together that are specific, measurable, and have a timeline, so progress is easy to see. I also teach kids how to set goals for themselves.
Checking against the start. I do my own assessment when we begin, then check again every few weeks to compare.
School work and scores. We can look at school work, report cards, and i-Ready or Star scores together, as much as you’re comfortable sharing. Those scores aren’t always accurate, since kids sometimes rush through the tests, so my own checks help fill in the picture.
Their tutoring notebook, which shows their work over time.

How it works

We’ll start with a free 15 minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit. We can meet on Zoom, at your home, or at a library, whatever is easiest for your family. In-person sessions are available within about 10 miles of the Everett Mall, including Everett, Mill Creek, Mukilteo, Lynnwood, Snohomish, and Bothell. Let me know which days and times work for you and we’ll find a time.

I’m also happy to work with two kids from the same family together if they’re at similar levels, or a small group of friends. Another option is two kids back to back, 30 minutes each. Tell me what you have in mind and we’ll figure out what works for your kids.

Rates

Have something else in mind, like a different session length or a mix of online and in person? Just ask.

Online

30 minutes: $20
1 hour: $35
Two 30-minute sessions a week: $35 a week

In person

30 minutes: $35
1 hour: $45
Two 30-minute sessions a week: $60 a week

Siblings or friends together: add $10 per extra kid for every 30 minutes, for groups of up to 4.

For younger kids (K to 2), 30 minutes is usually the sweet spot, and two short sessions a week often works better than one long one. Older kids often do well with a full hour.

These are founding rates for the first 5 families. After that, prices will go up for new families, but founding families keep this rate for as long as they tutor with me. Siblings count as one family.

Payment and cancellations

Payment is due before each session through a secure Stripe link I’ll send you. If you need to cancel, please let me know at least 24 hours ahead. Sessions canceled with less notice are charged in full.

If your child is sick, just let me know and we’ll reschedule at no charge. If I ever need to cancel, you won’t be charged and we’ll find a new time.

Why fall is a good time to start

First report cards and parent-teacher conferences often show where a child is having a hard time. Starting in the fall gives you the rest of the school year to work on it.

Get started

Send me a quick note about your child and what you’re hoping for, and I’ll get back to you within a day or two to set up a free 15 minute consultation.