As the founder and executive director of
A Step Ahead Academic Center, I welcome you to our site and hope you find the information you are seeking!

After spending nearly twenty years in the
field of education, I have truly found my passion! I spent many years providing tutorial services on my own but often found I was unable to meet the demand. In 2006 I founded A Step Ahead in order to gather a team of educators passionate about serving students with learning differences, and we have really been blessed to have the opportunity to work with such great children! 

The dedicated team of educators at A Step Ahead provides one-on-one instruction designed to meet each child's unique learning style.

Areas of specialization include:

• SAT Preparation
• Hands-on math instruction
• Reading comprehension strategies
• Writing instruction
• Preparation and remediation for the North Carolina
• End-of-Grade Tests
• Enrichment instruction
• Organizational strategies and study skills

We hope to have the opportunity to work with your child!

Dr. Cathleen Pittman 

Our Beliefs

We believe that every student has the ability to learn and feel successful! Working with a tutor allows your child to receive a level of individual attention that's difficult to receive
in today's large classrooms. We believe in working as a team with the parents, teacher,and student to meet the academic needs of the child. Often, a child's low academic performance can be attributed to a lack of confidence and fear of failure. Tutoring can help raise your child's self-esteem as the student begins to experience success. 

Although providing remediation is a vital part of tutoring, we also believe in pre-teaching content material. When a new concept is introduced in the classroom, your child will have the confidence in knowing that he/she has already seen the new material.

We specialize in hands-on math instruction, reading comprehension strategies, and preparation for the N.C. End of Grade Tests. We believe in making lessons fun and meaningful. We use games to reinforce concepts and incorporate a reward system to acknowledge the student's efforts and progress.

Who We Are

Click here to learn more about the faculty at A Step Ahead!

Our Articles

Click to read our articles in Forsyth Family Magazine:

Building a Solid Foundation, Feb 2012

Math Strategies for Success, January 2012

Is Your Child Falling Behind? December 2011

Reading Tips and Strategies, November 2011

Needed: You in Your Child's School, October 2011

Parents Can Make the Difference, September 2011

Could Your Child Benefit from Tutoring? August 2011

Summer Board Games, July 2011

Get Ready to Read, June 2011

Learning during the Summer,
May 2011

Test Time, April 2011

Celebrating 5 years, March 2011

Choosing a Tutor, February 2011 

Is Your Child Struggling in School?
December 2010

Conference Time, November 2010

Homework Help, October 2010

Ten Tips for a Successful School Year, September 2010