When Should I Hire a Reading Tutor?

Rhonda Boltax, founder and director of Keys to Reading Inc., shares what signs to look for when considering whether your child needs a reading tutor.

Your child’s teacher is a good source to identify the specific areas of reading that may require additional practice or instruction. Once you have identified what specific support your child needs in reading, you need to decide if a reading tutor is the best way to support her. 

One of the indicators to seek out a reading tutor is that you may feel your child is not getting adequate reading instruction in his regular school classroom. Your child may be asking for extra help in reading. Another reason for securing a reading tutor is that your child may be above grade level in reading, but needs additional enrichment to continue to develop his abilities.

There are also those children who lack confidence in their reading abilities or need extra study skill support to master large amounts of reading in class. A reading tutor can help boost her confidence by providing instruction in a low-stress, safe environment while also providing the strategies to break down large reading assignments into manageable parts.