Tutoring Information
When should we start tutoring?
You should start tutoring as soon as possible. The sooner a student with dyslexia starts tutoring, the better the results will be. Fluency, for example, is very difficult to improve, but your chances of improving the speed of your child’s reading increases when he/she begins receiving tutoring early.
You may want to get some baseline evaluations done first, but that is not crucial. See our “screening” tab for information about screening and testing.
If you think you’ll need “proof” of dyslexia, you’ll want to have your child tested before he/she goes too far with any tutoring. With the Barton Reading and Spelling system, for example, you’d want to get your student tested before he/she finishes Level 3. It could take your child between 3 and 18 months to finish 3 levels.
What kind of tutoring?
You will want to find an experienced, well-trained tutor who uses an Orton-Gillingham-based program (an O-G program). An O-G program is a research-based, scientifically-proven program that is specifically designed for people with dyslexia. The following programs are some of the O-G based programs available and will be effective tools for tutoring a person with dyslexia:
Who can deliver the tutoring?
Ideally, you’ll want a tutor who is certified in one of the programs listed above, but we also know of a number of great tutors who are not certified. Feel free to contact Dyslexia Alliance or go to the Bright Solutions website:
http://www.dys-add.com/getHelp.html#anchorTutoring.
What can parents do to help ensure success with tutoring?
What will success look like?
There is no exact timeline or universal description of success, but here are some things to look out for:
What will it cost?
Experienced O-G tutors generally charge between $40/hr and $65/hr. We are working at Dyslexia Alliance to get grant money to help defray these costs for families. (Another good reason to spread the word about us!)
I have more questions!
Please don’t hesitate to call or email. We've all been in your shoes.
DyslexiaAlliance@gmail.com
You should start tutoring as soon as possible. The sooner a student with dyslexia starts tutoring, the better the results will be. Fluency, for example, is very difficult to improve, but your chances of improving the speed of your child’s reading increases when he/she begins receiving tutoring early.
You may want to get some baseline evaluations done first, but that is not crucial. See our “screening” tab for information about screening and testing.
If you think you’ll need “proof” of dyslexia, you’ll want to have your child tested before he/she goes too far with any tutoring. With the Barton Reading and Spelling system, for example, you’d want to get your student tested before he/she finishes Level 3. It could take your child between 3 and 18 months to finish 3 levels.
What kind of tutoring?
You will want to find an experienced, well-trained tutor who uses an Orton-Gillingham-based program (an O-G program). An O-G program is a research-based, scientifically-proven program that is specifically designed for people with dyslexia. The following programs are some of the O-G based programs available and will be effective tools for tutoring a person with dyslexia:
- The Slingerland Approach
- Alphabetic Phonics (Take Flight)
- Project Read
- Wilson
- Language!
- Barton Reading and Spelling System
Who can deliver the tutoring?
Ideally, you’ll want a tutor who is certified in one of the programs listed above, but we also know of a number of great tutors who are not certified. Feel free to contact Dyslexia Alliance or go to the Bright Solutions website:
http://www.dys-add.com/getHelp.html#anchorTutoring.
What can parents do to help ensure success with tutoring?
- Interview your prospective tutor to make sure he/she has experience with one of the Orton Gillingham method.
- Stick with the program you start with.
- Use only one program. (No additional computer games/programs, etc.)
- Make sure your student receives at least two hours of tutoring a week (no summer breaks).
- Follow the tutor’s advice. Your tutor may give you the following instructions (probably with more specific details):
- No independent reading for a while. (Audio books will be fine.
- No additional reading and spelling instruction.
- Minimize the amount of writing your child does for a while.
What will success look like?
There is no exact timeline or universal description of success, but here are some things to look out for:
- Student is less stressed about school.
- Student’s self-esteem begins to improve.
- Student’s willingness to read and write (after clearance from the tutor) is greater.
- Student is sounding out unknown words.
- Student’s inventive spelling is improving.
- The skill gap between the student and his/her peers is shrinking.
What will it cost?
Experienced O-G tutors generally charge between $40/hr and $65/hr. We are working at Dyslexia Alliance to get grant money to help defray these costs for families. (Another good reason to spread the word about us!)
I have more questions!
Please don’t hesitate to call or email. We've all been in your shoes.
DyslexiaAlliance@gmail.com