Tutoring
Effective remediation of dyslexia and related reading, writing and spelling disorders is achieved through education. Specifically, a student will benefit from skilled instruction provided by a trained specialist using a systematic, sequential, multi sensory phonetic method of instruction. Generalized tutoring, offered by some schools or well-meaning teachers, is insufficient to overcome deficits in language processing which confound the dyslexic and interfere with learning. The instruction must be specific, targeted, concentrated and intensive. (By no means does this mean dull or repetitive!) Evidence-based instruction such as the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading is the gold standard for remediating dyslexia. Each of us at Dyslexia Achievement Center is trained and credentialed in this method. A basic curriculum addresses features of the English language which each student must master, however, a great degree of individual customization occurs. No matter the degree of reading difficulty or related concern, each student works individually with one tutor who customizes the instruction to that person and his/her particular learning profile.
In addition to approximately 75 language features included in the basic curriculum, the major components of reading proficiency—phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension—are woven into the course of instruction during each student’s work with us. Upon completion, each student is able to accurately and reliably decode (read) and encode (write) with or above grade level peers. Each understands the sounds and frequency of sounds in our language, syllable types and how to identify them, how to approach and decode new text, roots and affixes, and spelling patterns derived from our language origins: Anglo-Saxon, Latin and Greek. In short, students become self-sufficient readers and writers, with reading proficiency that boosts their ability in all language tasks.
