Personal Tutoring Built On Decades Of Experience
Northern Lights Learning Center is a privately owned tutoring practice serving students throughout Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley. Our founder, Linda Scharf, holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta with a four-year major in Special Education, and she brings more than 30 years of tutoring experience and over 40 years in teaching to every student who walks through our door. When you work with us, you are not handed off between rotating staff. You work directly with an educator who has spent her career figuring out how individual kids learn best.
What Tutoring Services Does Northern Lights Learning Center Offer In Abbotsford?
We offer personalized tutoring in six core areas: Basic Math, Reading Vocabulary, Readiness Skills, Special Education, Phonics, and Writing/Essay Skills. Every program is built around the individual student, from testing and assessment through to the actual instruction, and we work with learners from kindergarten through adulthood. Below, we break down what each program covers so you can find the right starting point for you or your child.
Personalized Tutoring Built Around Each Student’s Needs
Before we teach a single lesson, we find out exactly where a student stands. We use a combination of formal and informal testing and assessment methods to pinpoint the specific concepts or skills a student is missing, rather than assuming a grade level tells the whole story. From there, we design a program around that student’s strengths, working at their actual instructional level so they can start succeeding right away instead of continuing to struggle through material that has not clicked yet.
Basic Math
Reading Vocabulary
Readiness Skills
Special Education
Phonics
Writing And Essay Skills
We welcome students with all kinds of learning challenges, including ADHD, autism, behaviour concerns, and students who are considered at-risk or significantly behind grade level. If your child has struggled elsewhere, that history does not define what is possible here. We have spent years working specifically with students who need a different approach than what a full classroom can offer.
Getting started is simple. We offer a free consultation for prospective students and families so we can talk through what your child needs before anything is decided. There is no pressure and no obligation attached to that first conversation. It is simply a chance for us to understand your child’s situation and for you to see whether our approach feels like the right fit. Contact us to set one up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you figure out what my child actually needs help with?
We start with formal and informal testing and assessment to identify the specific concepts or skills a student is missing, rather than guessing based on their grade or report card alone. That assessment shapes the entire program from the first session forward.
Do you work with students who have ADHD, autism, or other learning differences?
Yes. We welcome students with a wide range of learning challenges, and Linda’s background as a certified teacher with a major in Special Education means those students work with someone who has spent decades building strategies for exactly this kind of learning difference.
What ages or grade levels do you tutor?
We tutor students from kindergarten through adulthood, so whether your child needs support in elementary school or you are an adult learner working on a specific skill, we can build a program around you.
How much does tutoring cost?
Every program is built around the individual student, so cost depends on what a student needs. The best way to get a clear answer for your situation is to book a free consultation with us, where we can talk through your child’s needs before you commit to anything.
How do I get started?
Reach out to book a free consultation. We will talk through your child’s current challenges, review any testing or assessment information you already have, and outline what a program built around their needs would look like.