Reading Really is Fundamental: How to Choose a Reading Tutor

 Reading is a vitally important skill. Children must learn to master the fundamentals of reading if they wish to be fully functional adults. Children who fail to become comfortable with the written word will struggle in school. Adults who reading problems may find it difficult to complete basic life tasks.

If your child or even you has problems with reading, you can hire a reading tutor. A reading tutor can help people learn not only to read well, but instill a true love of reading in their pupils. The right tutor can help diagnose any underlying physical problems such as dyslexia and suggest remedies for this problem. The right tutor can also help older students learn to work with more advanced materials such as college level texts. A reading tutor can also help improve someone's writing skills and strengthen their vocabulary.

Before you begin you should take a close look at any information you have specific reading reading related deficits. If your child is attending school, the child's teacher can provide valuable feedback. A child's teacher should be able to provide you and any reading tutor with a detailed list of where the child needs improvement. A child may have trouble with spelling or understanding the underlying meaning of words.

If you are an adult seeking a reading tutor, see if you can get copies of old academic records. An adult may not have been diagnosed with a specific problem other than a reading problem. Dyslexia was not recognized as a diagnosis until fairly recently. Even if you don't have dyslexia you might have a similar decoding problem.

After you have all academic records your search for a reading tutor should begin. Reading tutors work both for tutoring services and as independent contractors. A tutoring service will screen candidates for employment and verify that their credentials are correct. The tutoring service will also offer access to tutors with other specialities such as test preparation and writing. A private tutor may work full time at another job such as teaching college level writing classes and then take on a few clients part-time.

Speak with the tutor in question. They should be able to answer all questions and concerns you have. Ask them about the methods they plan to use. An ideal tutor should combine a complete grounding in phonics with a good introduction to whole language tools. A tutor should also offer diagnostic testing.

If your child has been diagnosed with a reading related disorder such as an inability to hear phonemes, a reading tutor should be able to overcome such specific deficits. The reading tutor should also focus on related areas of reading comprehension such as writing and the ability to use a pencil and pen to craft legible handwriting. The reading tutor should offer specific exercises and strategies that you can use to improve on any deficits.

The right reading tutor will set up a plan of action that will include a timeframe, homework and any outside texts or additional specialist visits that may be necessary. With proper investigation reading should become something that the student will wholeheartedly embrace.