How to pick the right dyslexia tutor for you

Finding the best tutor might seem challenging, but there are a couple of tricks you can learn that will help you with the decision. 

Getting a tutor’s help for dyslexia

Overcoming one’s disability is never easy. And when it comes to dyslexia, it can have a severe impact on self-esteem, confidence, stress levels, and so much more. It is not always something you can overcome on your own. 

This can especially be problematic for younger children. And getting a reading tutor is always a good idea. They will be able to provide individualized classes focused on progress and allow the child (or anyone else) to explore different reading instructions and evidence-based methods. 

With this, they will have an easier time finding a way to live with this disability, and it might not be as impactful in their everyday lives. Some children with dyslexia can also have ADHD and other learning difficulties. 

With a good tutor, a dyslexic person will be able to improve reading comprehension, self-esteem, and reading skills, and it will have a positive effect on professional development. 

Tips on finding the right tutor to help with learning disabilities and what to look for when hiring a special education helper

Now, the question many people will have is how to find an online tutor (or in-person). How do you know if they are good enough? Or if the remediations will be effective? One thing you can always do is contact the International Dyslexia Association or The Learning Disabilities Association. 

They will be able to provide all the details you need, as well as useful tricks that can help you in life. As for the potential tutor, one of the first things you should look for is the teaching method. In the majority of cases, the Orton-Gillingham method is the best option. 

It starts with phonics and works its way up the ladder until you learn more about words, decoding, and how the connections between sounds and letters. A reading specialist is also an excellent option for homeschooling and IEP. 

Common mistakes people with dyslexia make

One of the most common mistakes when teaching reading is that people often start with capital letters. And the problem here is that they are the same height. With lowercase letters, it is easier to differentiate them since they will have different shapes and heights. 

At the same time, teachers often forget that sounds are as important as letters. And this is why the phonic approach teaches the connection between sounds and the letters they represent. They can also use phonic readers, various colors, and different fonts. 

Finally, teachers need to understand that each child is different. And they will learn at different rates. There is no universal reading program that will apply to the entire class, and teachers and educators need to be patient and supportive. 

Benefits of and tools for dyslexia tutoring

As technology improves, there are so many different tools and options you can use to improve the tutoring session. Accessibility tools are designed to allow everyone to use devices, and they can be more than helpful in a child’s school as well. 

Struggling readers will have an easier time going through the teaching materials, and they won’t need to spend as much time on each individual page. And the best thing about these tools is that they are so versatile. 

You can find almost any type of tool today. And if these tools can help even one child learn to read, they are worth your time. 

Speechify

Speechify is a text-to-speech tool designed to help dyslexic students. Using the app is quite easy, and all you need to do is open the text in Speechify. The app supports various file formats, languages, devices, accents, and so much more. 

It is one of the best TTS apps you can find today, and the quality is incredible. With this app, children can listen to any type of book (including physical ones), and they won’t need to struggle to read the content on their own. 

Speechify can also be great for auditory learners, new languages, words, and others. 

Smartpens

In the past couple of years, smartpens have improved a lot, and many people are using them. What these tools can do is allow students to take notes on their own, while the pen records the lesson. 

After that, they can just listen to the teacher and study with ease. There are also scanning pens and various scanning devices that can turn physical pages into digital versions, and with TTS tools like Speechify, you can convert them into audio. 

Spelling apps

Since many dyslexic students have dysgraphia or a writing disability, using spelling apps can be more than helpful. It is also great for proofreading any type of content since it will save so much time. 

These apps are quite accurate, and students won’t need to go through the content on their own. Dysgraphia usually doesn’t affect writing using keyboards, but reading the written content will still be challenging. And a simple tool can help students avoid this problem. 

FAQs

What questions should I ask a dyslexia tutor?

Once you meet your private tutor, ask them about the teaching method they prefer and plan on using. Among the most popular ones are the Barton, Lindamood-Bell, and Orton-Gillingham approaches, and anything that focuses on phonemic awareness is a good idea. 

You can also ask them about previous experience, referrals, structured literacy, and how they plan on helping the dyslexic student. 

What type of instruction is best for people with dyslexia?

Multisensory instructions, small groups, visual cues, graphs, audiobooks, and anything else that doesn’t require reading skills will be great for dyslexic children. Naturally, the approach will be different for a first-grade level or elementary school and older students. 

What are the different types of dyslexia?

Dyslexia can be genetic or acquired. Additionally, there are different types of this reading disability. This includes surface dyslexia, rapid naming dyslexia, phonological dyslexia, double deficit dyslexia, and visual dyslexia.