Multisensory Reading Clinic

 HELP and RESOURCES

for parents who have children with dyslexia

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 "The SUCCESS of your students will depend upon your skills as a teacher," 

                                                                                                              -Gillingham, A., 1956

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How to Choose a Highly Skilled Reading Tutor or Teacher for a Child with Dyslexia Who Struggles to Learn How to Read, Write, Spell, and Comprehend?

 

If your child with dyslexia cannot read or spell—or is struggling significantly with these skills—you likely need a specialized tutor to teach him how to read, spell, and comprehend text effectively.

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Skillful teaching in reading and spelling requires expertise, and the instruction must be direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, systematic, diagnostic, prescriptive, and cumulative, while remaining flexible. It should incorporate phonics-based and research-supported methods.

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In addition to initial learning, ongoing review of concepts and practice for fluency are essential for your child to become an independent learner and fluent reader.

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A highly skilled reading teacher should use targeted strategies to help your nonreader or struggling reader decode and spell both familiar words and unfamiliar ones (e.g., zim, vat, quab, blandish, splatton). He should also build comprehension skills, with visible progress evident within the first 15 sessions.

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1. Education of the Reading Teacher

Like many parents, you may be seeking a "certified teacher" or "professionally certified teacher." However, consider these questions:

a. Who is your child's current reading teacher? We can assume they are a certified teacher, as that's typically required for classroom teaching.

b. If so, why hasn't your child learned to read and spell correctly? Why can't they decode unfamiliar words, why are they a poor speller, and why do they struggle with comprehension? His skills should align with those of his peers.

 

The issue is that your child's learning difficulties exceed the scope of what a standard certified teacher—even one with a master's degree—can typically address. What your child needs is a reading teacher specialized in literacy intervention and remediation for individuals with challenges in reading, writing (including penmanship), spelling, and comprehension. That said, formal education alone is not sufficient as a qualification.

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2. Skills of the Reading Teacher

As Anna Gillingham noted in 1956, "The success of your students will depend upon your skills as a teacher." When selecting a reading teacher, ask these key questions:

a. How do you teach students to read and spell? A vague response like "providing instruction" for reading, spelling, and comprehension isn't enough. Most nonreaders and struggling readers struggle to blend sounds, even if they know individual ones. They require specific strategies, rules, techniques, or "tricks and tips" tailored to their needs—reinforcing learning and aiding retention. Ask if the tutor will teach sound blending, language rules, strategies, and techniques. Follow up with: "How would you do that? Can you give an example?" Think of it like teaching a child to ride a bike or play hockey: Without the right instructions, tips, and techniques (e.g., how to pedal or angle a puck shot), endless practice won't yield results. Your child won't ride properly or score goals. 

b. How do you begin teaching a student to read? The answer should involve assessing the child first to identify reading and spelling issues, then developing targeted solutions.

c. Follow-up questions: Once you identify the student's problems, what's next? How do you start tutoring? What's your process? The approach should be based on assessment results. Many students struggle with phoneme recognition, so tutoring often begins with teaching phonemes (sounds), as they are the foundational building blocks for reading, writing, spelling, and comprehension in alphabetic languages like English and French. Soon after learning a few sounds, the tutor must teach blending to enable reading and spelling of unfamiliar words—otherwise, progress stalls.

 

Ultimately, selecting the right tutor may involve some trial and error. Consider signing up for a few sessions to evaluate fit. Once hired, monitor your child's progress closely.

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3. Monitoring the Progress of Your Child's Reading and Spelling Skills

How do you know if the tutor is effective?

a. Through close observation, you'll see progress if your child can read unfamiliar words using concepts already taught.

b. Ask your child directly—you may be surprised by their insights.

c. Many tutors now teach online. Verify if the tutor provides accurate instruction. English is sound-based, so your child must learn phonemes correctly to blend them for reading and spelling. Watch for errors like adding a short /a/ vowel to consonant sounds (e.g., /ma/ for /m/, /na/ for /n/). Pure consonant sounds (e.g., for c, k, d, f, g, j, l, m, n, r, s, t, v) have no added vowel.

d. Progress depends on the child's learning capacity and starts from assessment findings, but there must be improvement in reading and spelling within at least 15 one-hour, one-on-one sessions. For example, if a child with mild dyslexia—who knows basic letter sounds—is learning simple one-syllable words like bag, tag, and wag, they should quickly read similar unseen words (e.g., ag, cag, gag, dag, hag, nag, mag, rag, jag, yag, zag) and spell them, as these follow English rules. If not, you've likely hired the wrong tutor—this is the ultimate indicator of an effective reading teacher!

e. If your child can't decode or spell such words, the tutor may not be providing strategies, rules, or techniques. If sessions involve only reading words, sentences, or paragraphs with (or to) your child, they're merely aiding memorization—not teaching decoding or spelling. You could do that yourself for free at home.

f. After 15 sessions, if a child with mild dyslexia still can't handle basic unseen words like vin, zim, or kib, you're wasting resources and not helping your child. Switch tutors!

 

Remember, there's no quick fix for literacy intervention and remediation—even with the world's best teacher. English is complex, and children with dyslexia (especially alongside other disabilities) need time. Typical students require about 180 hours (one school year) per grade level in formal schooling. For a child who hasn't progressed in a regular classroom, catching up to grade level may take more than a year of intensive intervention, depending on factors like learning capacity, disability severity, session frequency, and concept complexity.

 

We have compiled a list of reading and spelling concepts, arranged from easiest to most difficult word patterns. While not exhaustive, it provides an overview of what your child should learn and helps set realistic goals.

 

What Kind of Reading Program Is the Best and Most Effective for Your Dyslexic Child?

For children with dyslexia, the most effective programs are those grounded in the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach or similar structured literacy methods. These are evidence-based, multisensory programs that emphasize phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension in a systematic way. Effectiveness depends on the tutor's expertise, consistency, and your child's engagement—combine with at-home practice for best results. Consult a specialist for a personalized recommendation based on your child's assessment.

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