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I am a licensed physician from Florida who is currently changing careers. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 and have extensive tutoring and editing experience. While a student, I became a certified writing tutor through the Critical Writing Department. Since I completed my writ...
Nova Southeastern University
PHD, Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
Bachelors, History
University of Pennsylvania
undergraduate
Certified Tutor
9+ years
Jai
I'm a recent Stanford graduate (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), and have been working at a major Management Consulting firm for a few years now. I personally scored a 2360 (out of 2400) on the SAT and 35 on the ACT and was successful in gaining admission to several top universities. I'...
Stanford University
Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Certified Tutor
Kate
I'm available to tutor biology, chemistry, physics, math from Algebra up through AP Calculus, SAT test prep, and French. I've been tutoring students in science and math for 7 years. I also spent 8 months working and studying in France, and have tutored high school and adult students in French. When ...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Masters, Environmental Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelors
Certified Tutor
Erika
I am available to tutor middle and high school math, history and test prep. I have tutored math and history in the past and I previously taught a test prep course at a school in Hanoi, Vietnam. I have a lot of experience teaching all the need-to-know tricks to doing great on the SATS/ACTS! When I am...
Harvard University
Master of Public Policy, Public Policy
Certified Tutor
6+ years
Rhea
I am a current student at the University of Chicago. I am working towards a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, and I am on the pre-medical track. I am extremely passionate about tutoring, and I have several years of experience tutoring students in my high school's learning center in various...
University of Chicago
Bachelor of Science, Biology, General
Certified Tutor
6+ years
Jeffrey
I am enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering PhD program at Rice University which will begin Fall 2020, and I am hoping to return to academia as a professor after earning my PhD. In the meantime, I am looking to share my passion for gaining knowledge, specifically in STEM, by educating the up and com...
University of Notre Dame
Bachelor of Science
Rice University
Doctor of Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering
Certified Tutor
9+ years
Sami
I am a Duke University graduate in Economics and Computer Science. I am currently pursuing an MBA degree at the Yale School of Management. I have worked in the financial field, both at a management consulting firm and a fortune 500 company. My hobbies include playing and coaching soccer.
Duke University
Bachelor of Science (Economics and Computer Science)
Yale School of Management
Current Undergrad Student, Business Administration and Management
Certified Tutor
9+ years
Sharon
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago, and I will be starting a graduate program at Columbia in August. I am about to complete a year of service with City Year, an education non-profit that places young adults into under-served schools. As a City Year member, I worked full-time in the classro...
Columbia University in the City of New York
Master of Science, Journalism
University of Chicago
Bachelor in Arts
Certified Tutor
9+ years
Annie
I am currently a second year medical student. I was a Physiological Sciences major at UCLA (class of 2015), and pursued research during my gap year between undergrad and medical school.
University of California Los Angeles
Bachelors, Physiological Sciences
Drexel University College of Medicine
Current Grad Student, MD
Certified Tutor
Tony
I am a recent graduate of Yale University and incoming first year medical student at Columbia University. Originally from the DC area, I have always had a passion for science and medicine and pursued a degree in Biology while at Yale. During the 2008-2009 academic year, I tutored science, math, Engl...
Yale University
Bachelor of Science in Biology
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Matthew
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I'm a highly creative person who works best with visual thinkers. Very recently graduated from Stanford University, I majored in Human Biology with a concentration in Bioinformatics and Stem Cell Science. Technical though my background may be, I am currently gigging as a singer/songwriter/composer in NYC and tackle even the most hard-science of problems with a top-down, big-picture, holistic approach. If you have a propensity to look at problems in a cross- or inter-disciplinary manner (or want to learn how to do so), I'm the tutor for you!
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I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals! Hobbies: art, books, running, reading, music, writing
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AP Calculus AB Tutor • +29 Subjects
I am a freshman at Caltech majoring in Applied and Computational Mathematics. My favorite subject to tutor is math because I find it very rewarding to simplify complex topics to aid in understanding. I have lots of tutoring experience. In high school, I ran and taught an SAT prep class and was vice president of my school's NHS chapter where I ran our tutoring program, and I, myself, tutored. I also was a teaching assistant in the summer of 2020 for a class in discrete mathematics through a program called PACT (Program in Algorithmic and Combinatorial Thinking). I love learning and hope to make the process enjoyable for you!
Quinn
Calculus Tutor • +17 Subjects
I am willing to address any issue with an open mind and I try to develop strategies that play to a student's strengths. I would like to think I am very approachable and personable, and I have had very positive experiences with many students in the past using this philosophy. Outside of academics, I love playing basketball and watching sports, as well as chilling with friends, listening to music, and keeping up with politics and current affairs.
Zachary
Trigonometry Tutor • +35 Subjects
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Pinelopi
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I am a Duke University graduate with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. I have experience tutoring all levels of Spanish language, all sections of the SAT, as well as algebra, pre algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus! I love kids & I have a very flexible schedule and a lot of patience! Let me help you :)
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Pre-Algebra Tutor • +26 Subjects
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Samantha
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +38 Subjects
I'm a first-year medical student and recent graduate from Duke University, where I studied Global Health Determinants, Behaviors, and Interventions. From running a piano program at a nonprofit children's theatre to private tutoring in math, science, and standardized test prep, I enjoy helping my students become confident and self-sufficient learners! Hobbies: photography, travel, reading, music, writing, running, art, books, traveling
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Frequently Asked Questions
Lip reading requires recognizing how sounds correlate with mouth movements, which is complicated because many phonemes look identical on the lips—for example, 'p,' 'b,' and 'm' are nearly indistinguishable visually. Students also struggle with speed (natural conversation moves faster than practice materials), unclear articulation from different speakers, facial hair or masks obscuring lip movement, and the cognitive load of simultaneously processing visual information, context, and language patterns. A skilled tutor can break down these challenges systematically, starting with phoneme recognition before moving to connected speech.
Beginners start by learning individual phoneme shapes and mouth positions, often using isolated words and clear speech. Intermediate learners progress to connected speech, sentence patterns, and contextual prediction—recognizing that meaning helps fill gaps when lip movements are unclear. Advanced students develop speed, handle rapid natural conversation, and learn to compensate using facial expressions, body language, and conversational context. A tutor can assess your current level and create a progression that builds visual recognition skills before introducing the complexity of real-world speech rates and speaker variation.
Recognition improves through focused practice with visual discrimination exercises—comparing similar-looking phonemes side-by-side, watching clear speakers in controlled settings, and gradually increasing difficulty with faster speech and less ideal viewing angles. Effective practice involves repetition with feedback, which helps you internalize the subtle differences between sounds that look similar (like 'f' and 'v'). A tutor can provide targeted drills using video materials, model correct mouth positions, and give immediate correction when you misidentify a sound, accelerating the pattern recognition that would take much longer through self-study.
Because many phonemes look identical on the lips, skilled lip readers rely heavily on context, sentence structure, and topic knowledge to predict what's being said—similar to how you'd guess a word in a sentence with missing letters. Developing this skill requires exposure to natural conversation patterns, common phrases, and topic-specific vocabulary so your brain can anticipate likely words. A tutor can teach you to actively use context clues, practice with thematically organized conversations, and gradually reduce your reliance on perfect visual recognition by building stronger predictive skills.
Different speakers have distinct mouth shapes, speech rates, and articulation clarity—some speakers are naturally easier to lip read than others. Building adaptability means practicing with diverse speakers (different ages, genders, regional accents, and speech patterns) so you learn to adjust your visual expectations. You'll also discover that some speakers over-articulate while others mumble, and clear enunciation makes lip reading significantly easier. A tutor can expose you to this variety systematically, helping you identify what makes certain speakers harder to read and teaching compensation strategies for unclear articulation.
Lip reading works best as part of a multimodal communication strategy—combining visual information with any available auditory input, facial expressions, and context. If you have some hearing ability, practicing lip reading alongside listening helps your brain integrate both sources of information, making communication more robust than either skill alone. A tutor can teach you to strategically use all available information channels, practice in realistic scenarios where multiple cues are present, and develop the flexibility to adapt when one source (like audio) is unavailable or unclear.
An effective lip reading tutor should have deep knowledge of phoneme recognition, mouth anatomy, and how different sounds appear visually; experience working with deaf or hard of hearing students; familiarity with evidence-based lip reading instruction methods; and the ability to model clear articulation and mouth positions. They should also understand the cognitive demands of lip reading and how to scaffold learning progressively—from isolated sounds to connected speech to real-world conversation. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who have specialized expertise in communication sciences and deaf education, ensuring you receive instruction grounded in how people actually develop this skill.
Effective practice uses a mix of structured materials (isolated phoneme videos, word lists with clear speakers) and authentic content (movies, interviews, conversations at natural speed). Repetition with feedback is essential—watching the same clip multiple times, checking your accuracy, and understanding where you missed visual cues. Interactive activities like conversation practice with a tutor provide real-time feedback and the ability to ask for repetition or clarification, which accelerates learning far more than passive video watching. A tutor can select or create materials matched to your level, provide immediate correction, and gradually transition you from controlled practice to real-world communication scenarios.
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