Understand What You Read: Master Reading Comprehension - Grades 5 and 6

Collegiate Learning instructors (AKA Cheryl Carter Creative Classroom) teach writing, reading, publishing and critical thinking skills to K-12 students. The mission of Collegiate Learning is to prepare learners to do well in higher education. Although we do a great deal of college preparatory classes primarily with homeschoolers, we also work with developing authors, particularly those young writers who want to get published.

Our instructors are trained in the Collegiate Learning method directly by Professor Cheryl Carter and absolutely LOVE young children.  In fact, Cheryl has written a variety of educational materials that she has used in her online classes. All instructors have at least five years or more working with children, and some of them are former preschool or classroom teachers, although the primary requirement for our teachers is a love for learning and a passion to teach.  Read more about our instructors below.


About the Director: 
Cheryl R. Carter is a busy homeschooling mother, author, speaker and a college professor with a passion to help others write well. She teaches English and Creative Writing classes and has written broadly on a variety of subjects. She is the author of several books including Organize Your Life,  Essential Writing Skills for the College Bound Student, Inspire the Writer in Your Child and Organize Your AD/HD Child.  In addition to writing fiction and poetry in her spare time, she blogs regularly on issues of clarity in written communication and the family.  She has a BA in English Literature and a MFA in Creative Writing and has done graduate study in Special Education. She has a Certificate in College Admission from Columbia University. She has also written literary guides and won academic awards for her writing. Her books have been translated into Hebrew, German, Czech  and Polish are selling well internationally. Carter's curriculum and writing classes focus on equipping students with the vital skills for lifetime communication success. Her curriculum and classes are marked by a sense of depth yet simplicity that nurture a love of writing in students. She has also worked in the area of racial equity with nonprofit groups and is skilled in conflict resolution. Carter enjoys teaching almost as much as she enjoys learning. Her enthusiasm is contagious; she enjoys inspiring her students to think, learn and grow!

Our Instructors:

Keri Smith has a BA in psychology from Bryan College, and over 16 years of experience working with children and teenagers in a variety of settings. Those 16 years include time spent privately tutoring elementary and middle school students in all subjects, as well as tutoring in after-school care facilities. Keri also served as a youth director for a non-profit, teaching and mentoring middle school and high school students. In addition, she has experience teaching students at the college level.  Keri absolutely loves connecting with, listening to, and learning from the kids and teens she work with!  Parents whom she has worked for in the past have described her as patient, kind, creative, engaging and encouraging. She has worked with many children over the years who are on the spectrum, with ADHD and with dyslexia. Keri really enjoys helping these particular children feel comfortable and accepted as they are, and she loves working alongside them to figure out how to best navigate the unique learning challenges they experience. While She has taught all subjects, Keri especially enjoys teaching creative writing and literature classes.


Kimberly A. Bolden is a poet, home educator, linguist and artist committed to nurturing young and aspiring writers. Her passion is teaching Creative Writing and African American History. Her poetry and stories center narratives around the intersection of race, genealogy and history. She has been published by Embrace Race and University of California at Berkeley and is working on her first poetry book.  She has a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with a focus on Japanese language and literature. She holds a certification in Teaching English as a Second Language.  She believes writing can change the world and she uses it to inspire young people in her writing workshops. Her students have gone on to submit and have their work published in notable journals, quarterlies and anthologies. Her warm, welcoming, bubbly enthusiasm fosters a lighthearted atmosphere conducive to learning.


Dr. Jacqueline Gittens works with all learners. She has experience working with international students. Born and raised in the city that never sleeps, Dr. Jacqueline Gittens has been teaching for the last 16 years as a homeschooler. She has also taught adults and children in person, and online in other countries for the last three years. Teaching and learning new things are her passions. Dr. Gittens believes you are never too old or too young to learn something awesome. 


Joelle Green is a writer and author who is currently an undergraduate student at the University of the Arts and majoring in Creative Writing. She have a passion for creative writing and kids and is excited to use this platform to combine the two. Joelle aims to give her students a sense of confidence in themselves and their work.


Ariarna Odom, aka Ms. Ari, is passionate about helping youth discover and cultivate their unique potential particularly through the use of creative arts. As a dance instructor , she has the privilege of working with children to develop their artistic talents and passions in addition to using various creative expressions to facilitate their academic enrichment. She have worked with children in school and community settings as a tutor, after-school teacher, summer camp counselor, mentor, and in educational support programs. She is also enthusiastic about writing, formulating stories, physical wellness, and mental health. Ari graduated from Howard University with a BFA in Theater Arts, and minored in psychology, and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness from New York University.