Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects an estimated 15-20% of the population. Reading, writing, and spelling is especially difficult for children who have dyslexia, despite their intelligence and motivation to learn. Dyslexic learners often struggle with phonemic awareness, decoding, and fluency, which can negatively impact their academic and personal success.
While early intervention and specialized instruction can be effective in supporting dyslexic learners, finding the right resources and support can be challenging. This is where dyslexia online tutoring can offer a valuable solution. With the rise of online education, more and more parents are turning to personalized online tutoring for help.
In this article, we will explore the benefits of online dyslexia tutoring and how it can help dyslexic students succeed academically and personally. We'll discuss the qualities to look for in a online dyslexia tutor, what to expect from online tutoring sessions, and how to get started on your search for a tutor.
The Benefits of Online Tutoring for Dyslexic Students
Online tutoring can provide a flexible and comfortable learning environment for many families. Children with dyslexia often struggle with traditional classroom settings due to the fast pace, large class sizes, and limited opportunities for one-on-one attention. Online tutoring can help these students receive personalized instruction that caters to their specific needs.
One of the main advantages of online dyslexia tutoring is one-on-one instruction. Tutors can work with students to identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop tailored lesson plans that focus on the specific areas where they need help. This approach can help dyslexic students make progress at their own pace, without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
With the right online tutoring setup, tutors can also provide a variety of tools and resources that make each session fully engaging and interactive for every child. For example, tutors can use specialized learning platforms which allow students to move and manipulate letter tiles for a full hands-on, multi sensory experience. Research shows that when dyslexic children utilize all of their senses in the learning process, they are able to build phonemic awareness and decoding skills much more easily,
Finally, online tutoring can offer a more comfortable learning environment for dyslexic children. Students can participate in tutoring sessions from the comfort of their own homes, which can help reduce anxiety and stress. Online tutoring can also offer more scheduling flexibility, making it easier for students to fit tutoring sessions into their busy schedules.
Overall, online dyslexia tutoring can offer a range of benefits for dyslexic students, from personalized instruction to flexible scheduling and more comfortable learning environments. In the next section, we'll discuss the questions you should ask when talking to a potential online dyslexia tutor.
Questions To Ask Your Potential Online Tutor
When choosing an online tutor for your child with dyslexia, it's important to look for someone who has the right qualifications, experience, and ability to connect with your child. Here are some key questions to ask potential tutors:
Do you specialize in children with dyslexia? (If not, think twice about hiring them.)
What is your hourly fee? What happens if my child has to miss a session?
Will I be expected to work with my child at home between sessions?
Do you use an Orton-Gillingham system? (If they don’t know what that means, do NOT hire them.) Which one? Are you certified in that system?
How often will you provide feedback to me on my child’s progress, and in what format?
Do you spend any of the session helping the student with homework, or do you concentrate only on teaching reading and spelling?
Dyslexic children need multi-sensory, hands-on instruction. How do you make your online sessions multi-sensory and hands-on?
What To Expect From Your Online Tutoring Session
Before you hire an online dyslexia tutor, you may be wondering what you can expect from your online tutoring sessions.
Here are some things that you can typically expect:
Personalized instruction: A good dyslexia tutor will have a personalized plan for your child that takes into account their specific needs and learning style. Your tutor will administer an initial assessment or screening to determine the best starting point.
Multi-sensory approach: Dyslexia tutoring will have a multi-sensory component that provides the student with a hands-on experience to build their literacy skills. Typically, this involves letter tiles that the student can move and manipulate when learning how to read and spell.
Structured lessons: Dyslexia tutoring should follow a structured lesson plan that is designed to build skills in a sequential and logical manner. This helps to ensure that your child is making progress and mastering each skill before moving on to the next.
Repetition and practice: Dyslexia tutoring often involves a lot of repetition and practice to help your child master new skills. This can include repeated reading of words and phrases, spelling practice, and other exercises that help to reinforce learning.
Positive reinforcement: A good online tutor will use positive reinforcement to help your child feel good about their progress and stay motivated to learn. This can include verbal praise, games, and other forms of positive feedback.
Overall, dyslexia online tutoring sessions should be engaging, effective, and tailored to your child's specific needs. By working with a qualified and experienced dyslexia online tutor, your child can make significant progress in their reading and spelling skills.
Dyslexia can make reading, writing, and spelling a challenge for students despite their intelligence and motivation. Fortunately, early intervention and specialized instruction can help support dyslexic learners, and online dyslexia tutoring can provide a valuable solution for families.
There are many benefits to online tutoring. But, you must hire the right tutor. Be sure to ask your potential tutor about their approach and experience with dyslexia. During tutoring sessions, dyslexic students should expect a personalized, multi-sensory approach that follows a structured lesson plan and emphasizes repetition and positive reinforcement. By utilizing online tutoring, your child can make significant progress in their reading and spelling skills, ultimately leading to greater academic and personal success.
At Brightest Owl, we specialize in dyslexia tutoring for children and teens. As Certified tutors with extensive training in the research-based, highly effective Barton Reading and Spelling System, we are equipped to provide intense reading, writing, and spelling intervention that is proven to work.
Call (661) 246-8068 or email us at info@brightestowl.com to get more information about how our program will help your child reach a 9th grade reading level.
Comments