Dyslexia is a neurologically-based learning disorder that interferes with the processing of language. For this reason, reading doesn’t become automatic and remains slow and labored. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms which result in students having difficulty with specific language skills such as fluent word recognition, decoding abilities (reading by sounding out), spelling, handwriting, oral speech and auditory processing.

We begin reading by learning how speech sounds make up words (phonemes or phonemic awareness) and then connecting those sounds to alphabet letters (phonics). Then, we learn how to blend those sounds into words, and eventually, we can recognize words seen many times before. Readers gradually learn to read words automatically allowing them to focus their mental energy on comprehension, rapid word recognition and comprehension. However, students with dyslexia have problems initially with decoding sounds within a word, a key factor in their reading difficulties.

Dyslexia can range from mild to profound and can occur with any level of intellectual ability. Some students with dyslexia can initially read. However, they will eventually hit a brick wall. Once they enter into a reading level that has more advanced words, they will have significant difficulty. In fact, studies indicate that 15% of the population has some form of dyslexia which is the major cause of reading failure in school.

Dyslexia is not due to either lack of intelligence or a desire to learn. Dyslexic brains are hard-wired differently so we tutor those students differently. Reading Solutions specializes in tutoring students in the Orton-Gillingham based Susan Barton Reading and Spelling System.

Reading Solutions - Traits of our Students

• Our students have great difficulty in sounding out an unknown word...despite being taught phonics.
• Our students have difficulty reading or spelling high frequency words (they, were, does, then, there, because, those, when, their).
• Our students have letter or number reversals continuing past the end of first grade.
• Our students struggle with reading fluency (slow, choppy or inaccurate).
• Our students skip or misread prepositions (at, to, of, on, in).
• Our students ignore reading suffixes (words that end with ly, al, ist, er, ive).
• Our students struggle as much with spelling...as reading.
• Our students have trouble with memorizing multiplication tables or a sequence of steps.
• Our students have trouble remembering when they write that a sentence has to start with a capital letter, and every sentence has to have punctuation.
• Our students often have difficulty with penmanship or have disgraphia.

Reading Solutions Dyslexia Tutoring